Chapter 1: Everything's An Argument

An argument that deals with action to be taken in the future, focusing on matters of policy and includes parliamentary debates and campaign platforms.

An argument that deals with current values and addresses questions of praise and blame and includes eulogies and graduation speeches.

The self-image a writer creates to define a relationship with the readers. In arguments, most writers try to establish ethos suggesting authority and credibility.

An argument that deals with actions that have occurred in the past. Sometimes called judicial arguments and include legal cases involving judgments of guilt or innocence.

The actual, real-life person whom a writer consciously wants to address in a piece of writing.

A term used by Sonja Foss to describe arguments that are aimed not at vanquishing an opponent but at inviting others to collaborate in exploring manually satisfying ways to solve problems.

The reader directly addressed or implied in a text, which may include some that the writer that didn't consciously intend to reach. An argument refers to those who have experienced a major trauma, for example, invokes all readers who have undergone this experience.

The opportune moment; in arguments, the timeliness of an argument and the most opportune ways to make it.

A strategy in which a writer uses facts, evidence, and reason to make audience members accept a claim.

A strategy in which a writer tries to generate specific emotions (such as fear, anger, envy, or pity) in an audience to dispose it to accept a claim.

The art of persuasion.

An approach to argumentation based on the principle, articulated by psychotherapist Carl Rogers, that audiences respond best when they don't feel threatened and stresses trust, urging those who disagree to find common ground.

The kinds of issues arguments address.

In classical rhetoric, a method for coming up with appropriate arguments by determining the nature of a given situation: a question of fact; of definition; of quality; or of policy.