Synopses & Reviews
Advocacy and Opposition: An Introduction to Argumentation, 6/e
Donald Jay Rybacki, Northern Michigan University
Karyn Charles Rybacki, Northern Michigan University
Advocacy and Opposition: An Introduction to Argumentation presents a comprehensive and practical approach to argumentation and critical thinking for the beginning student learning to construct and present arguments on questions of fact, value, and policy.
Advocacy and Opposition offers a theoretical insight into the nature of argument in our society, a discussion of arguing as a form of communication, and a focus on how arguments are created using the Toulmin model of argument. By blending traditional and contemporary views on the nature of argument (including multicultural perspectives on the purpose and process of argument, ethics, and values), Advocacy and Opposition makes students more aware of the development of theory and practice.
Features:
- Presents separate discussions of the techniques and strategies of fact, value, and policy arguments to equip students with the writing and speaking tools they need to succeed in their college courses.
- Includes an in-depth discussion of the different types of reasoning to enable students to critically examine the thinking behind arguments they make as well as those they read and hear.
- Employs the Toulmin model of argument to explain how the parts of an argument fit together to help students construct their own arguments and think critically about the arguments of others (Chapter 5).
New to This Edition:
- Phrasing propositions and defining terms section streamlines the process of phrasing and defining; includes a discussion of problems created by relying exclusively on standard dictionaries as well as the value of using specialized dictionaries (Chapter 3).
- Reasoning techniques section includes new examples and discussion of reasoning from sign, parallel case, and analogy, to enhance student’s interest and understanding of the material (Chapter 7).
- Fallacies in argumentation section features brand new examples and a revised discussion of the various types of fallacies (Chapter 8).
- Learning Activities have been added to the end of each chapter.
Synopsis
Advocacy and Opposition offers a comprehensive and practical approach to argumentation and critical thinking for the beginning student who needs to construct and present arguments on questions of fact, value, and policy. This text provides a theoretical view of the nature of argument in our society, a discussion of arguing as a form of communication, and a focus on how arguments are created using the Toulmin model of argument. By blending traditional and contemporary views on the nature of argument (including multicultural perspectives on the purpose and process of argument, ethics, and values),
Advocacy and Opposition makes students more aware of both the development of theory and practice as well as competing views, providing a well-rounded approach to their study of argumentation.
New to the 5th Edition:
- Addresses cultural differences that exist regarding the nature of argumentation, its purpose and processes, in building toward a definition of argumentation in a revised Chapter 1.
- Explains how cultural differences relate to differing ethical sensibilities, builds overriding ethical principles with an eye toward finding areas of commonality to bridge these differences, and provides a brief discussion of pragma-dialectics.
- Reflects significant changes in Internet research (Chapter 6), directing students to a wide variety of electronic resources to enable them to extend their research base.
- Examines the differences in values that exist between cultures as both of locus of potential value conflict and an impetus for possible value change, providing key information that will benefit today's students.
- Relates the examples of type of evidence and the discussion of tests of evidence to a single topic (rather than several different topics) in order to more clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of research strategies.
- Streamlines Appendix A (debate) and Appendix B (brief writing) to reflect current practice and provide more useful guidance.
Synopsis
Advocacy and Opposition offers a comprehensive and practical approach to argumentation and critical thinking for the beginning student who needs to construct and present arguments on questions of fact, value, and policy. This text provides a theoretical view of the nature of argument in our society, a discussion of arguing as a form of communication, and a focus on how arguments are created using the Toulmin model of argument. By blending traditional and contemporary views on the nature of argument (including multicultural perspectives on the purpose and process of argument, ethics, and values),
Advocacy and Opposition makes students more aware of both the development of theory and practice as well as competing views, providing a well-rounded approach to their study of argumentation.
New to the 5th Edition:
- Addresses cultural differences that exist regarding the nature of argumentation, its purpose and processes, in building toward a definition of argumentation in a revised Chapter 1.
- Explains how cultural differences relate to differing ethical sensibilities, builds overriding ethical principles with an eye toward finding areas of commonality to bridge these differences, and provides a brief discussion of pragma-dialectics.
- Reflects significant changes in Internet research (Chapter 6), directing students to a wide variety of electronic resources to enable them to extend their research base.
- Examines the differences in values that exist between cultures as both of locus of potential value conflict and an impetus for possible value change, providing key information that will benefit today's students.
- Relates the examples of type of evidence and the discussion of tests of evidence to a single topic (rather than several different topics) in order to more clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of research strategies.
- Streamlines Appendix A (debate) and Appendix B (brief writing) to reflect current practice and provide more useful guidance.
Synopsis
Advocacy and Opposition offers a comprehensive and practical approach to argumentation and critical thinking. This book provides a theoretical view of the nature of argument in our society, a discussion of arguing as a form of communication, and a focus on how arguments are created using the Toulmin model of argument.
Table of Contents
Each chapter includes “Suggested Supplemental Readings” and “References.”
1. What Is Argumentation?
The Nature of Argumentation.
The Nature of the Audience.
The Historical Development of Argumentation.
Ethical Standards for Argumentation.
2. Where Do I Begin in Argumentation?
Fields of Argumentation.
Presumption.
Burden of Proof.
The Prima Facie Case.
3. What Am I Going to Argue About?
The Nature of Propositions.
The Classification of Propositions.
Phrasing the Proposition.
Defining the Key Terms.
4. How Do I Analyze Propositions?
Locating the Immediate Cause.
Investigating History.
Defining Key Terms and Creating the Primary Inference.
Determining the Issues.
5. How Is a Unit of Argument Created?
The Toulmin Model of Arguments.
Simple, Chain, and Cluster Arguments.
6. How Do I Prove My Argument?
The Discovery of Evidence.
Types and Tests of Evidence.
Recording Evidence.
7. How Do I Reason with My Audience?
Argument from Cause.
Argument from Sign.
Argument from Generalization.
Argument from Parallel Case.
Argument from Analogy.
Argument from Authority.
Argument from Dilemma.
8. What Should I Avoid?
Fallacies in Reasoning.
Fallacies of Appeal.
Fallacies in Language.
9. How Are Factual Propositions Argued?
Advocating Propositions of Fact.
Opposing Propositions of Fact.
10. How Are Propositions of Value Argued?
Values in Conflict.
Advocating Propositions of Value.
Opposing Propositions of Value.
11. How Are Propositions of Policy Argued?
Advocating Policy Propositions.
Opposing Policy Propositions.
12. How Do I Present My Arguments to an Audience?
Audience Analysis.
Language Choice and Style.
Delivery Techniques.
Building Credibility with an Audience.
Appendix A: What Are the Rules of the Game?
Debate Formats.
Speaker Responsibilities.
Flow Sheeting.
Appendix B: How Do I Write an Argumentative Brief?
Glossary.
Index.