Introduction to Argumentation
Term: Fall 2020 - Full Term (08/31/2020 - 12/11/2020)
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
CRN: 14549
Times & Locations
| Start Date | End Date | Days | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/31/2020 | 12/11/2020 | TR | 2:10pm - 3:30pm | ONLINE |
CMN-504
Introduction to Argumentation
Professor Farrell
The course will introduce you to the study of argument. You will learn how to recognize, understand, appraise, and respond to a variety of arguments. You will also learn to construct a variety of arguments that will meet established public and academic standards of rationality. This is a rigorous course that will demand that you think carefully and clearly. Standards of formal logic and practical rationality seldom allow for laziness of thought and expression. You will also find that the course is good exercise for your brain and will establish habits of thinking and writing that will prove valuable not only in other academic work, but in your professional and civic lives as well.
Our American legal and political system is based on public argument. Decision-making in both law and public policy results from an adversarial process in which two or more sides advance claims and support those claims with reasons and evidence. One of the skills required for competent citizenship in a participatory democracy, then, is the ability to argue—to be able to articulate your position on issues of public importance, and to affirm the reasons for holding that view in a way that is convincing to others. This course will set you on the path toward achieving that aspect of your civic competence. Indeed, you should undertake the study of argumentation as part of your citizenship training.
In addition, virtually all scholarly writing requires that you argue. Whether you are doing work in media criticism, history of public address, conversational analysis, or some other discipline including history, philosophy, psychology, physics, or literature, you will be required to advance an interpretive claim, historical thesis, or scientific hypothesis, and then offer reasons and evidence to support your position. Being a successful scholar requires that you understand how to read academic arguments, and how to argue in support of your own positions.
The work for the course demands regular sustained attention. Students are most successful when they keep up with the homework assignments conscientiously. Only regular practice in analysis and composition will ensure that your own thinking and arguing will meet the highest standards for clear and strong public argument.