The Classical Argument

1. The Classical Argument

2. Basic Components • Introduction • Narration • Confirmation • Refutation • Concession • Summation

3. Introduction • Information that orients the reader to your topic and/or establishes the need to consider the topic at all • Warms up the audience, establishes goodwill and rapport with the readers, and announces the general theme or thesis of the argument. Thus, the introduction has three jobs: to capture your audience’s interest, establish their perception of you as a writer, and set out your point of view for the argument.

4. Thesis • One sentence that sums up your position on the issue. • Your thesis is your central claim (fact, value, or policy)

5. Narration • Summarizes relevant background material, provides any information the audience needs to know about the environment and circumstances that produce the argument. • By the end of this chunk, the readers should understand what’s at stake in this argument–the issues and alternatives the community faces–so that they can evaluate your claims fairly.

6. Confirmation • Lays out in a logical order the claims that support the thesis, providing evidence for each claim. • Takes up several supporting claims individually, so that you can develop each one by bringing in facts, examples, testimony, definitions, and so on. • It’s important that you explain why the evidence for each claim supports it and the larger thesis; this builds a chain of reasoning in support of your argument.

7. Refutation and Concession • Looks at opposing viewpoints, anticipating objections from the audience. This section can often be the strongest part of an argument, for when you show an audience that you have anticipated potential opposition and objections, and have an answer for them, you defuse the audience’s ability to oppose you while you persuade them to accept your point of view. • If there are places where you agree with your opposition, conceding their points creates goodwill and respect without weakening your thesis.

8. Summation (Conclusion) • Provides a strong conclusion, showing the readers that this solution is the best at meeting the circumstances. • To write this section, try to revisit the narration and the issues–remind your readers what’s at stake here, and try to show why your thesis provides the best solution to the issue being faced. This gives an impression of the rightness and importance of your argument, and suggests its larger significance or long-range impact. • You might end with an amplification (ringing conclusion), a review of your main points, a reference to something in your introduction, or a plea for action. In this way, you can give your readers a psychological sense of closure–the argument winds up instead of breaking off.

9. Organization of Argument • Background, thesis, confirmation (simplest to most complex, weakest to strongest, least important to most important) • Key: Choose arguments that indirectly address objections; arrange arguments carefully.

10. I. Communities should require recycling. II. Confirmation: Preserves the environment. III. Confirmation: Saves money. IV. Confirmation: Promotes better health. V. Conclusion/Reaffirmation

11. Background, thesis, refutation/concession of opposing points of view • Key: Address the opposing points of view thoroughly and fairly; arrange carefully (simplest to most complex, weakest to strongest, least important to most important)

12. I. Communities should require recycling. II. Conc./Ref.: Takes too much time. III. Conc./Ref.: Costs too much money. IV. Conc./Ref.: Doesn’t make a difference. V. Conclusion/Reaffirmation

13. Background, thesis, confirmation, refutation/concession • Key: Consider organization of confirmation, identify primary objection and address thoroughly and fairly

14. I. Communities should require recycling. II. Confirmation: Preserves the environment. III. Confirmation: Saves money. IV. Confirmation: Promotes better health. VI. Conc./Ref.: Costs too much; takes too much time. V. Conclusion/Reaffirmation