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The Toulmin Method

Analyzing An Argument. The Toulmin Method. Terms to know. Claim: the thesis or central argument What statement is the author defending?. Terms to know. Qualifier: careful arguers are wary of making absolute claims

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The Toulmin Method

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  1. Analyzing An Argument The Toulmin Method

  2. Terms to know • Claim: the thesis or central argument • What statement is the author defending?

  3. Terms to know • Qualifier: careful arguers are wary of making absolute claims • Are there certain situations or circumstances when the claim may not hold true? • Examples of qualifiers: typically, usually, on the whole

  4. Terms to know • Exceptions: in what situations will the writer admit that his claim does not hold true? • Extreme cases, etc. • Critical readers look for exceptions

  5. Terms to know • Reasons: statements used to justify or further support the claim. • May not always be explicit; sometimes you may have to infer, but be careful not to impose a reason of your own. • Reasons, like claims, can be qualified as well – very rarely are any aspects of an argument absolute.

  6. Terms to know • Evidence: supports the reasons. • Can be data, anecdotes, case studies, citations from authority figures or experts • Moral arguments do not require much evidence, although evidence can influence your reader.

  7. Terms to know • Refutation: when a writer anticipates potential objections to his claim or position. • Rebuttal: the author’s response to any likely objections – counter-counter-argument

  8. Process of Analysis 1. Find the claim – if, after careful analysis, you are not exactly sure what the claim is, you have found a serious fault in the argument. 2. Look for qualifiers: is the claim absolute? If so, can you think of circumstances in which it might not apply?

  9. Process of Analysis 3. Look for explicit exceptions to the claim 4. Find reasons: should answer the question “Why are you claiming what you are claiming?” 5. Think about all reasons carefully: Are they good reasons? Are the reasons relevant to the claim?

  10. Process of Analysis 6. For each reason, locate all evidence offered to back it up – remember evidence is not limited to hard data. 7. Think about each piece of evidence: Is it good, accurate, and believable? Is it relevant to the reasons it supports? 8. Examine all refutations.

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