Week 6- Argumentation: form and content.

Warnick’s and Inch’s accounts of the different types of models of argument made me understand how the three components of an argument- claim, reason and evidence work, contribute to and provide for the argument’s message to get across to its recipients. But looking through the models along with the authors’ explanations and examples, some questions came to mind.

1. Once an argument’s claim is proven, it means that audiences have accepted a part of the argument and is ready for the evidence in order to reach a conclusion using reasoning and finding a common ground. The concept of “chaining”, the way I understood it was that the proven and accepted claim would act as a backbone to help explain the unproven claim. What would happen if the arguer’s first claim is not proven yet the second claim might help the first one? What do you think if the arguer were to refer to the second claim in order to make sense of the first? And how would the level of dispute adjust in the model?

2. Under Text Orientation, there is the mentioning of the arguers’ intentions. “Even when the arguers state their intentions, we have only their word for what they meant and still do not know what their true intentions might have been”. Thinking from an arguer’s point of view, I would lay out my intentions simply because that is the reason why I am arguing about a subject matter. I might be wrong but are the authors trying to say that there is or might be a great difference between an arguer’s thinking (not visible) versus the arguer’s words? I guess what I do not understand is that why would an arguer not truly convey what their intentions are?

3. I really liked how the authors described argument as a form of communication. In stating an argument, if the recipients react to it in any way or form, it means that that the message is being conveyed and “reaching” out. Recipients may not necessarily agree with the arguer’s argument but at least communication is in process and the argument is somehow instilled in the recipient’s mind. An example that came to mind was recycling (argument being we should recycle more). I admit, I don’t really recycle but whenever I see a recycling bin, I remember to throw my water bottle in that specific bin as oppose to a “normal” bin. I do not think about this on a daily basis but that recycling bin sends a powerful message to me to alter my habits of throwing things. Do you have any experiences like mine? Or an experience where an argument didn’t strike you at all? Is it due to lack of interest, experience about the matter, etc.?