Chapter Fourteen - Clayton Peppler

Personal Reaction: After completing chapter fourteen, the thing that stuck out to me was the Rogerian argument and the Toulmin logic. The Rogerian argument is a style of argumentation where each opponent enters into a cooperative relationship. Instead of attacking each other’s opinion, each opponent tries to find a common ground. The Toulmin logic is a model that divides arguments into three parts: claim, grounds and warrant. This is a model that I have been accustomed to throughout high school, but have been familiarized to calling it claim, data and warrant. I have used both the Rogerian argument and Toulmin logic not only in my English class, but in my public speaking class as well. In my class, we had several debates, each of which followed the Rogerian style. We were not mean and cruel to each other about differing opinions, rather we embraced the different perspectives and thoughts. We wrote our outlines in the Toulmin format and presented them along the same guidelines.

Professional Reaction: The chapter is very thorough in explaining all the different pieces that go into creating an effective argument. Argumentation is the appeal to reason and should not be confused with persuasion. When developing your thesis, make sure that it is debatable. The best way to check if your thesis is debatable is by creating an antithesis. When gathering your evidence to support your argument, make sure that the evidence is relevant, representative, and sufficient. When making your argument, it is essential that you refute any opposing arguments by showing that they are either unsound, unfair, or weak. There are many fallacies to avoid when writing an argument. If they are not avoided, these fallacies could potentially destroy your reputation and discredit the argument.

"Basic Language Literacy: Writing: Argument and Persuasion." Basic Language Literacy: Writing: Argument and Persuasion. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2015.