How to Make a Logical Argument
Select your premise., Find reliable sources that support your premise., Find reliable sources that support the counterargument., Introduce your argument., List evidence from strongest to weakest., Use deductive or inductive reasoning., Determine...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Select your premise.
A premise, or thesis statement, is the theory you’re attempting to prove.
Choose something that is debatable, and be as specific as possible.
For example, instead of saying, “Pollution is bad for the environment,” which is not debatable, say, “To reduce pollution, the government should tax car owners more heavily.”Try not to be combative or confrontational in your premise.
Don’t use words like stupid or evil, which can quickly alienate the people you’re trying to convince. -
Step 2: Find reliable sources that support your premise.
Seek out a librarian at your local library and ask them to help you find books and journals that relate to your research.
You can also do much of your research online, but you’ll need to be careful about which sites you’re using.
Some are more reliable than others.Government or university websites, peer-reviewed journals, well-known news publications, or documentaries are good places to start.
In general, social media posts, personal websites, and collaborative websites where anyone can make changes are not reliable sources to cite.
These are, however, a good place to gain a basic understanding of a topic.
Avoid sources that are trying to sell you something, since their claims may not be completely honest. , Research an opposing viewpoint so that you can anticipate the arguments someone else will make against your premise.
This will also help you prepare for your response to the counterargument.Try imagining what someone who disagreed with you would say.
For example, if you’re arguing for taxing drivers in order to reduce pollution, research the ways in which taxes can have a negative impact on society. , Start with an introduction that explains what you’re going to argue.
The introduction will include your premise or thesis, and it will give a preview of how you plan to prove it.
This “preview” will essentially be a brief summary of your research findings.An example would be, "By presenting the financial, cultural, and environmental changes in Pleasantville following the addition of their automobile tax, I will show that a vehicle tax is a realistic option for reducing pollution in our country."
Begin with your most compelling piece of evidence in order to begin convincing others of your viewpoint as quickly as possible.
Then work your way down until you end with what you view as the weakest aspect of your argument.The best piece of evidence is usually statistical.
For example, "The number of cars purchased in Pleasantville went down by 8% after an additional tax was added to car purchases."
This is the path you will take to reach your conclusion.
With deductive reasoning, you will start with generalizations and then make a specific conclusion.
With inductive reasoning, you will start with specifics and then make a more general conclusion.Example of deductive reasoning: "All cars run on gas.
A Toyota is a type of car.
Therefore, a Toyota runs on gas." By this reasoning, if the first two premises are true, the third one must be true.
Example of inductive reasoning: "My car has bad gas mileage.
Some cars with bad gas mileage are banned in Pleasantville.
Therefore my car will be banned in Pleasantville." By this reasoning, if the first two premises are true, the third one might be true, or it might not.
Inductive reasoning is typically used in cases that require some prediction. , A valid argument is one in which, if all premises are true, the conclusion must be true.
Soundness is whether the premises are actually true.
Be sure that your argument is both valid and sound.For example, "All cars are purple.
Purple cars run on gas.
Therefore all cars run on gas." If all premises were true, the conclusion would be true, so it is valid.
But obviously not all cars are purple, so the argument is not sound. , Conclude your argument by again summarizing what your main evidence was and how it proved your premise.
Do not repeat the thesis exactly; try to rephrase it in another way.For example, "The success of the Pleasantville auto tax in reducing car purchases, and therefore decreasing the amount of gas emissions there, is why our country needs to add a car tax to our environmental efforts." You can use the conclusion as a chance to reemphasize why your argument matters, but do not introduce any new evidence or information here. , This is a claim made without sufficient evidence.
Don’t rush to judgement without having all the facts.
Making assumptions about large groups of people will undermine your argument and potentially offend others.For example, “All people who own cars don’t care about the environment.” , This is when you restate an argument while in the process of trying to prove a claim.
Watch for statements in which you're basically just saying the same thing twice.For example, “Cars contribute to pollution by polluting the environment.” , This is when you reword the claim as support for the claim.
It's similar to a circular argument, though it may use more prejudicial language.
Use specific evidence to help prove your point rather than biased descriptions.For example, “Poisonous gas fumes are polluting the Earth.” Prove how the fumes are causing pollution, rather than calling them poisonous. , Don’t attack a person’s character rather than their arguments or positions on certain issues.
A person's character is unrelated to the issue at hand, and it makes you look biased against that person.For example, “John’s plan won’t solve anything because he’s selfish.” This doesn’t address anything about John’s plan or how it affects the issue; it only attacks him personally. , This is when you try to divert attention from something and, in doing so, avoid the key issues you should be addressing.For example, “Think of how much faster your commute will be if there are fewer cars on the road!” This doesn’t have anything to do with the environmental impact of cars or the economic impact of taxes. , This oversimplifies an argument by insisting there are only two choices.
There are almost always more than two options when facing a problem, so don’t assume yours is the only solution.
Present a strong case for your argument rather than scaring others into thinking it's the only way.For example, “We can either tax car owners or destroy the planet.” -
Step 3: Find reliable sources that support the counterargument.
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Step 4: Introduce your argument.
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Step 5: List evidence from strongest to weakest.
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Step 6: Use deductive or inductive reasoning.
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Step 7: Determine validity and soundness.
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Step 8: Restate your argument in a conclusion.
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Step 9: Avoid hasty generalizations.
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Step 10: Avoid circular arguments.
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Step 11: Avoid begging the claim.
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Step 12: Avoid ad hominem arguments.
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Step 13: Avoid red herring arguments.
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Step 14: Avoid either/or arguments.
Detailed Guide
A premise, or thesis statement, is the theory you’re attempting to prove.
Choose something that is debatable, and be as specific as possible.
For example, instead of saying, “Pollution is bad for the environment,” which is not debatable, say, “To reduce pollution, the government should tax car owners more heavily.”Try not to be combative or confrontational in your premise.
Don’t use words like stupid or evil, which can quickly alienate the people you’re trying to convince.
Seek out a librarian at your local library and ask them to help you find books and journals that relate to your research.
You can also do much of your research online, but you’ll need to be careful about which sites you’re using.
Some are more reliable than others.Government or university websites, peer-reviewed journals, well-known news publications, or documentaries are good places to start.
In general, social media posts, personal websites, and collaborative websites where anyone can make changes are not reliable sources to cite.
These are, however, a good place to gain a basic understanding of a topic.
Avoid sources that are trying to sell you something, since their claims may not be completely honest. , Research an opposing viewpoint so that you can anticipate the arguments someone else will make against your premise.
This will also help you prepare for your response to the counterargument.Try imagining what someone who disagreed with you would say.
For example, if you’re arguing for taxing drivers in order to reduce pollution, research the ways in which taxes can have a negative impact on society. , Start with an introduction that explains what you’re going to argue.
The introduction will include your premise or thesis, and it will give a preview of how you plan to prove it.
This “preview” will essentially be a brief summary of your research findings.An example would be, "By presenting the financial, cultural, and environmental changes in Pleasantville following the addition of their automobile tax, I will show that a vehicle tax is a realistic option for reducing pollution in our country."
Begin with your most compelling piece of evidence in order to begin convincing others of your viewpoint as quickly as possible.
Then work your way down until you end with what you view as the weakest aspect of your argument.The best piece of evidence is usually statistical.
For example, "The number of cars purchased in Pleasantville went down by 8% after an additional tax was added to car purchases."
This is the path you will take to reach your conclusion.
With deductive reasoning, you will start with generalizations and then make a specific conclusion.
With inductive reasoning, you will start with specifics and then make a more general conclusion.Example of deductive reasoning: "All cars run on gas.
A Toyota is a type of car.
Therefore, a Toyota runs on gas." By this reasoning, if the first two premises are true, the third one must be true.
Example of inductive reasoning: "My car has bad gas mileage.
Some cars with bad gas mileage are banned in Pleasantville.
Therefore my car will be banned in Pleasantville." By this reasoning, if the first two premises are true, the third one might be true, or it might not.
Inductive reasoning is typically used in cases that require some prediction. , A valid argument is one in which, if all premises are true, the conclusion must be true.
Soundness is whether the premises are actually true.
Be sure that your argument is both valid and sound.For example, "All cars are purple.
Purple cars run on gas.
Therefore all cars run on gas." If all premises were true, the conclusion would be true, so it is valid.
But obviously not all cars are purple, so the argument is not sound. , Conclude your argument by again summarizing what your main evidence was and how it proved your premise.
Do not repeat the thesis exactly; try to rephrase it in another way.For example, "The success of the Pleasantville auto tax in reducing car purchases, and therefore decreasing the amount of gas emissions there, is why our country needs to add a car tax to our environmental efforts." You can use the conclusion as a chance to reemphasize why your argument matters, but do not introduce any new evidence or information here. , This is a claim made without sufficient evidence.
Don’t rush to judgement without having all the facts.
Making assumptions about large groups of people will undermine your argument and potentially offend others.For example, “All people who own cars don’t care about the environment.” , This is when you restate an argument while in the process of trying to prove a claim.
Watch for statements in which you're basically just saying the same thing twice.For example, “Cars contribute to pollution by polluting the environment.” , This is when you reword the claim as support for the claim.
It's similar to a circular argument, though it may use more prejudicial language.
Use specific evidence to help prove your point rather than biased descriptions.For example, “Poisonous gas fumes are polluting the Earth.” Prove how the fumes are causing pollution, rather than calling them poisonous. , Don’t attack a person’s character rather than their arguments or positions on certain issues.
A person's character is unrelated to the issue at hand, and it makes you look biased against that person.For example, “John’s plan won’t solve anything because he’s selfish.” This doesn’t address anything about John’s plan or how it affects the issue; it only attacks him personally. , This is when you try to divert attention from something and, in doing so, avoid the key issues you should be addressing.For example, “Think of how much faster your commute will be if there are fewer cars on the road!” This doesn’t have anything to do with the environmental impact of cars or the economic impact of taxes. , This oversimplifies an argument by insisting there are only two choices.
There are almost always more than two options when facing a problem, so don’t assume yours is the only solution.
Present a strong case for your argument rather than scaring others into thinking it's the only way.For example, “We can either tax car owners or destroy the planet.”
About the Author
Susan Castillo
Creates helpful guides on lifestyle to inspire and educate readers.
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