Download Friday 10-14 - Prof. Anderson

TODAY’S GOALS
• Introduce basic strategies for counterarguments
• Plan counterargument strategies for the class debate
• Introduce visual rhetoric in advertising
DEBATE SCHEDULE
• Friday 10-14
• Capital Punishment
• Wednesday 10-19
• NSA vs. Individual Privacy
CLASS DISCUSSIONTHESIS STRATEGIES REVIEW
• What were the two qualities we looked for in a thesis from unit 1?
• How could these be related to our class debate?
THESIS STRATEGIES
• Clear
• Keep your thesis short, preferably one sentence
• Begin your thesis with an independent clause, focusing on the subject of that
clause
• Eliminate any unnecessary words, clauses, or information
• Credible
• Do not mention any 1st or 2nd person
• Do not include specific source evidence in the thesis itself
• Make sure your thesis is perfectly edited
COUNTERARGUMENT STRATEGIES
Basic
Advanced Strategies/
Logical Fallacies (Unit 3)
• Rebutting main ideas
• Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc
• Attacking evidence
• Hasty generalizations
• Conceding to specific points
• False analogies
• Either/or reasoning
• Ad hominem
• Circular reasoning
• Slippery slope
BASIC COUNTERARGUMENT
STRATEGIES
3 Main strategies
• Rebutting main ideas
• Questions are a powerful strategy here
• Anticipate what your opponents will say
• You can question your opposition’s argument/thesis (consider the language carefully), underlying assumptions of
the opposing argument, the supporting reasons, or the evidence used to support those reasons
• Attacking evidence
• Many times your opponent’s argument will be strong on its own, but that does not mean it is completely rhetorically
sound
• When you cannot find direct fault with a claim, consider disputing the reasons used to support that claim
• Examining the argument’s use of all three rhetorical appeals can be helpful here
• Conceding to opposing views or evidence:
• In some cases, a certain point of your opposition’s argument may be so strong that it is not easy to counter. In this
case, you may wish to concede the point
• This is not “giving up”.” It acknowledges that an issue is complex and can actually make you seem like a more
credible speaker overall
• However, you can, after conceding a point, you should transition the argument to an area in which your own
view/reasons are strong or an area in which your opponent’s argument is weak
BASIC COUNTERARGUMENT
STRATEGIES
• Attacking a thesis
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If the thesis statement seems to be in response to a thesis question, offer your own possible answer to that thesis question
Look for logical fallacies or underlying assumptions (logos)
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Ask questions that your opposing side cannot easily answer
Find parts of the thesis that are too strongly stated and can be negated with a counterexample
Consider a pathos appeal: an argument may be logical, but that does not mean it is sympathetic to all views. Use your
audiences’ beliefs and emotions to convince them instead
•
Look at ‘because’ clauses first as an easy way to identify underlying assumptions
• Attacking evidence or supporting reasons
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Consider the three rhetorical appeals to be a pyramid that holds up the argument; if one is missing or weak, attacking that
area can cause the whole argument to fall apart
Look for absolutes: if an argument says anything with complete certainty, all you need is a single counterexample to refute it
Attack the credibility (ethos) of the evidence. Is it from a reliable source? Was their methodology flawed? Was their sample
size large enough to be generalizable?
Does the main idea of a supporting source align with the main idea of the counterargument? Many articles will use sources
only for a particular piece of data, and if you look at the source of their information, you can often use it against them
Look for logical fallacies and underlying assumptions
PRACTICE COUNTERARGUMENTS
For each of the following, identify at least one underlying assumption and a
possible objection or counterargument to the claim:
A. “The government was justified in invading its neighbor country because
they were harboring terrorists
B. According to Parenting.com, social media has very negative effects on
most people’s interpersonal relationships so parents should limit their
children’s usage of it
C. Citizens have the right to bear arms because that’s what the constitution
says
C. The government has the right to monitor citizens’ electronic
communications because this is the best way to prevent terrorism
GROUP ACTIVITYDEBATE COUNTERARGUMENTS
• In your debate groups
• Read through the speaking points your opposing group has shared for you
1. For each of the 3 speaking points, select one of the three basic
counterargument strategies to use against it
2. Write a short counterargument (2-3 sentences) for use against each one of
your opponent’s points
CLASS DISCUSSIONVISUAL RHETORIC
• What type of visual rhetoric is the most profitable and influential?
• What is one example of how this visual rhetoric impacted you?
• How is this type of visual rhetoric changing in the 21st century?
• What are examples genres or types of how this rhetoric is used
VISUAL RHETORICADVERTISING
• $190 Billion spent last year on advertisements in the US alone
• Old genres: print, billboard, radio, commercial
• New genres: web banners, social media posts, clickbait, viral marketing
• Two main features in visual advertisements:
• Image – the main pictorial or video element of an ed
• Copy- the text element
GROUP ACTIVITYINTRO TO ADVERTISEMENTS
• In your debate groups
• Examine the two previous photos and answer the following questions about
each:
1. What do you notice most about each advertisement? What is its dominant
impression?
2. Which rhetorical appeal(s) might be involved in these ads?
3. What is the most influential element of the ads: image or copy?
4. How are these ads designed to suit their contexts?
HOMEWORK
• Read A&B 125-130
• Finalize preparations for the debate! Make sure any source you will
reference is printed and brought with you to the debate