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Richard.Jewell.net |
CollegeWriting.info
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CollegeWriting.info |
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Fun with Argument |
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"When
we argue, we not only offer ideas; we
also
encourage argument itself and, with it, a certain way of arguing."
ACTIVITIES
Freewriting an Argument:
Think of someone or something with which you disagree strongly. Write your disagreement as fast as you can for a page or two. Write anything you want and say it in any way you want; however, do not show it to anyone other than, possibly, your writing instructor!
Imagining a Position:
Take an imaginary position on something silly or fun. Support your side of the issue--your position--by writing about it as fast as you can for a page or two.
Imagining a Debate:
Imagine a dialogue, silly or serious, between two people who clearly disagree on an important or silly issue. Write a debate between them, having them support their sides with detailed facts and/or examples.
STORY
When my sister, Jan, and I were young, we argued like most little kids do. We called it "fighting,"or at least our parents called it that, and I suppose that was an accurate characterization of it because we didn't argue all that reasonably (as most young kids don't). We learned to start out stating our own point of view reasonably enough, as in "That toy is mine, not yours," but such calmness soon would escalate into being upset and, if it was really a big deal, either grabbing something from the other person or going to tell Mom.
However, both of us learned early on that going to Mom (or Dad, evenings and weekends) was better left for dire situations because we knew that we would have to go through a long (to us), involved process of figuring out what was "fair." Both of us would run to her, and the first one to get there would state his case. For example, I might say to Mom, "You and Dad gave that toy to both of us and Jan had it for a long time and now it's my turn!" If I had had my way, Mom would have simply said, "Okay, Jan, it's your brother's turn, now."
But no, she had to make a big deal of it. She was more likely to say to me, "How long has she had it?"
"An hour," I might say.
"And Jan," she said to my sister, "how long do you think you had it?"
She might say, "That's not true! It was only twenty minutes!"
"Okay," Mom would say, "Let's go half way and call it forty minutes. Now, how long do you think each of you should have?"
Jan and I would haggle about that, too, and finally reach a settlement. "Okay," Mom would say, "I'm going to set the timer. When it goes off, Jan, you have to give the toy to your brother."
And that was the way it went. As parents, Mom and Dad were our court of last resort--prosecutor, defending attorney, jury, and judge all rolled into one. It was very frustrating at times, trying our short patience as children. However, we were forced to grow up being aware that there was a story to every side. As we got older, we learned to try, at least initially, to listen to each other and try to seek a compromise before going to our court of last resort, just because it saved time. We also learned to be good horse traders that way, as in "If you give me that toy right now, I'll let you borrow some money from me to buy that comic book you want this weekend." We made all kinds of deals, and we always had our court of last resort to sort things out when a deal or an argument went sour.
Academic argument takes place in its own court of law of sorts: college instructors expect you to have consideration for arguments opposing your own. If you are making a single argument--for one side of an issue--you should know what the other side argues so that your own reasons counter theirs and appeal to the intelligence of anyone (a teacher or other students) who might be listening to both sides. And if you are explaining the arguments of two or more opposing sides, you need to be completely fair, accurate, and complete in representing the arguments of each side.
Knowing the opposing sides is important not just because it is good practice in reasoning; more important is the fact that only by such fairness and balance can our academic community--and society itself--be fair and reasonable. Whenever we misuse logical or use other tricks, whether on purpose or accidentally, in trying to win an argument, we hurt our own reputation and respect, and we hurt the ability of society to be just and fair to everyone.
My sister, Jan, and I grew up and grew closer together, becoming great friends. A big reason for this strong friendship is that we know we can always trust each other to be honest and fair.
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Contents and Page Design © 2002-2004 by Richard Jewell. Nonprofit copying for education is allowed. Images
courtesy of Barry's Clip Art, Clip
Art Warehouse, The
Clip Art Universe, Clipart
Collection, Microsoft Clip Art Gallery and Design
Gallery Live, School Discovery,
and Web Clip Art |
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