What I Should Argue

How do I decide what I should argue? Overview Most  arguments  fall  into  recognizable  types,  depending  on  which  angle  of  an  issue  the  writer  chooses  to   emphasize.  Most  often  the  central  claim  of  an  argument  is  referred  to  as  the  thesis.  You  can  begin  to  develop  a   potential  thesis  by  asking  yourself  what  you  found  most  interesting  or  provocative  about  the  topic  you’ve   chosen  to  address.  Your  thesis  must  present  an  arguable  position.  In  other  words,  you  should  aim  for  an   argument  that  could  be  debated  or  reasonably  interpreted  in  an  alternative  way.  It  may  also  be  worthwhile  to   aim  for  the  unexpected.  Making  a  familiar  or  predictable  argument  is  unlikely  to  hold  your  readers’  attention.   General Considerations The  six  most  common  types  of  claim  are:  fact,  definition,  value,  cause,  comparison,  and  policy.  Being  able  to   identify  these  types  of  claim  in  other  people’s  arguments  can  help  you  better  respond  in  your  own  writing.  You   can  also  use  them  to  brainstorm  possible  arguments  you  might  make  about  an  issue  you  have  decided  to   examine.   Six  Types  of  Claim   • A  claim  of  fact  takes  a  position  on  questions  like:  What  happened?  Is  it  true?  Does  it  exist?  Example: “Though  student  demonstrations  may  be  less  evident  than  they  were  in  the  1960s,  students  are  more politically  active  than  ever.” • A  claim  of  definition  takes  a  position  on  questions  like:  What  is  it?  How  should  it  be  classified  or interpreted?  How  does  its  usual  meaning  change  in  a  particular  context?  Example:  “By  examining  what  it means  to  ‘network,’  it’s  clear  that  social  networking  sites  encourage  not  networking  but  something  else entirely.” • A  claim  of  value  takes  a  position  on  questions  like:  Is  it  good  or  bad?  Of  what  worth  is  it?  Is  it  moral  or immoral?  Who  thinks  so?  What  do  those  people  value?  What  values  or  criteria  should  I  use  to  determine how  good  or  bad?  Example:  “Video  games  are  a  valuable  addition  to  modern  education.” • A  claim  of  cause  takes  a  position  on  questions  like:  What  caused  it?  Why  did  it  happen?  Where  did  it  come from?  What  are  the  effects?  What  probably  will  be  the  results  on  a  short-­‐term  and  long-­‐term  basis? Example:  “By  seeking  to  replicate  the  experience  of  reading  physical  books,  new  hardware  and  software actually  will  lead  to  an  appreciation  of  printed  and  bound  texts  for  years  to  come.” • A  claim  of  comparison  takes  a  position  on  questions  like:  What  can  be  learned  by  comparing  one  subject to  another?  What  is  the  worth  of  one  thing  compared  to  another?  How  can  we  better  understand  one thing  by  looking  at  another?  Example:  “The  varied  policies  of  the  US  and  British  education  systems  reveal  a difference  in  values.” • A  claim  of  policy  takes  a  position  on  questions  like:  What  should  we  do?  How  should  we  act?  What  should be  future  policy?  How  can  we  solve  this  problem?  What  course  of  action  should  we  pursue?  Example:  “Sex education  should  be  part  of  the  public  school  curriculum.” In Practice Brainstorming  Using  Types  of  Claim   Below,  six  types  of  claim  express  different  angles  on  the  topic  of  violent  media  effects  on  children.  By   aggressively  brainstorming  and  devoting  sufficient  time  to  this  stage  of  the  writing  process,  you  could  certainly   come  up  with  more  additional  claims  for  each  type.  You  could  then  choose  to  pursue  the  options  that  seem   most  promising  and  devise  a  course  of  action  for  expanding  upon  your  ideas.   Fact:  There  is  no  solid  evidence  that  violent  media  affects  children.   Definition:  A  looser  definition  of  the  word  “violence”  makes  it  possible  to  define  children’s  animated   cartoons  as  violent.   Value:  Violence  in  animated  children’s  films  improves  the  quality  of  the  entertainment.   Cause:  Exposure  to  violent  media  causes  children  to  solve  problems  with  physical  violence  rather  than  by   communicating.   Comparison:  Exposing  young  children  to  violent  media  has  greater  repercussions  than  exposing  a  teenager   to  violence.   Policy:  To  limit  children’s  exposure  to  violent  media  a  new  rating  system  should  be  put  in  place.   Combining  Claims   Often  two  or  more  types  of  claims  are  combined  to  make  a  more  complex  central  argument.  By  examining   your  issue  through  one  type  of  claim,  you  may  find  it  naturally  leads  to  a  second  type  of  claim.  This  can  lead  to   a  more  inventive  and  engaging  argument.  Remember  that  a  “thesis”  does  not  always  have  to  be  limited  to  a   single  sentence.   Claim  of  Cause  +  Claim  of  Value:  Schools  are  failing  because  of  a  reduction  of  funds  provided  by  the   government;  therefore,  it  is  the  government  that  is  ineffective,  not  the  schools  themselves.   Claim  of  Definition  +  Claim  of  Policy:  The  definition  of  adult  should  not  be  based  on  age  but  on  brain   maturity.  Given  that  the  brain  is  still  physically  maturing  until  the  early  twenties,  the  legal  adult  age  should   be  raised  from  18  to  21.   Claim  of  Comparison  +  Claim  of  Fact:  The  similarities  in  math  education  between  China  and  the  US   indicate  that  it  is  the  cultural  attitudes  Americans  have  about  math  education,  not  how  math  is  taught,   that  creates  the  difference  in  test  scores.   Exercise First  write  down  an  issue  you  might  address  in  an  essay.  Then  brainstorm  to  find  some  original  angles  using  the   different  types  of  claims.   Fact:  Think  about  which  aspect  of  your  topic  is  in  question  and  answer  one  or  more  of  the  following   questions.  Is  it  true/not  true?  Did  something  occur?  How  did  it  occur?  Does  the  problem  really  exist?   Definition:  Make  a  list  of  the  various  key  words  or  terms  associated  with  your  topic  that  answer  the   following  questions:  What  is  the  intended  meaning  of  this  term?  How  do  you  think  it  should  be   interpreted?  Does  the  meaning  change  in  a  particular  context?     Value:  Consider  the  aspects  of  your  topic  that  can  be  evaluated  and  ask  yourself  the  following   questions:  Is  it  good/bad?  Is  it  effective/ineffective?  Does  it  have  value?  To  whom?  On  what  criteria   should  we  base  its  worth?   Cause:  Identify  an  aspect  of  your  topic  that  is  caused  by  something  else  or  has  effect  on  something   else?  Consider  the  following  questions:  Why  did  it  happen?  What  caused  it?  What  short  and/or  long   term  effect  will  it  have?     Comparison:  Consider  your  subject  in  light  of  another  subject,  or,  if  your  topic  has  two  elements,   compare  them  to  each  other.  Answer  one  or  more  of  the  following  questions:  What  can  be  learned   about    A  when  it  is  compared  to  B?  Why  is  A  better  or  worse  than  B?  What  do  the  similarities  or   difference  between  A  and  B  say  about  your  topic  as  a  whole?   Policy:  Determine  if  your  topic  or  part  of  your  topic  requires  a  solution  and  ask  yourself  the  following   questions:  What  should  be  done  to  solve  this  problem?  How  should  we  take  action?  Why  is  this   solution  effective?  Is  it  a  feasible  solution?   Once  you  have  answered  the  above  questions,  look  over  them  to  see  if  any  can  be  naturally  combined  to   make  a  more  complex  argument.  Brainstorm  various  connections.   Last  updated  August  2013