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In this lesson, you will learn how to identify the different parts of an argument and become familiar with the rules and formats of different types of debate.
The ability to formulate, recognize, and criticize arguments is crucial to successful reading, writing, and speaking. Rational discourse and education are founded on the idea that people can use evidence and logic to persuade others to change their minds and adopt new ideas.
An argument is group of statements, one of which is claimed to derive or follow from one or more other statements.
The following statement reflects one example of a basic argument:
“We should go to the store because we are out of milk.”
There are three main parts of an argument: the premise, the conclusion, and the warrant.
Oftentimes, the warrant of an argument is left unstated because it is obvious and uncontroversial. Were the warrant in the argument above to be stated explicitly, the argument would read something like this:
“We should go to the store because we are out of milk, we need more milk, and we can get milk at the store.”
The fact that most warrants are unstated makes it more difficult to identify than the other two parts of an argument. Though the warrant is innocuous here, identifying and articulating warrants are the key to recognizing faulty and fallacious arguments.
Identifying and articulating an argument’s warrant is like building a bridge between the premises and conclusion.
Let’s look for warrants in another argument.
John Lennon was the most talented member of the Beatles because he wrote most of their songs.
Which of the following is an accurate description of this argument’s warrant?
Most arguments take one of two structures. Either the conclusion comes first, and the premises follow, or the conclusion is the final statement and the premises lead up to it. It is less common for a conclusion to appear sandwiched between premises, though it is not unheard of.
As a result, distinguishing between the parts of an argument requires an understanding of the logical relationship between them. What proposition is the speaker or writer trying to advance as true? How do other statements offer support for that proposition?
One way to hone in on that logical relationship is to ask two questions:
Another, more concrete way to identify premises and conclusions is by looking for indicator words. Conclusion indicators are words whose presence signals that the statement that follows is likely to be a conclusion.
Some of the most common examples of conclusion indicators include:
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Thus |
Therefore |
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As a result |
Hence |
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Consequently |
So |
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Accordingly |
Which means/demonstrates/proves that |
Premise indicators are words that often precede statements offered in support of a conclusion. For example:
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Because |
Since |
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Due to |
As |
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Given that |
In view of the fact |
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For |
Whereas |
Read the following passage:
Because there’s a new mall in the area, my rent is about to go up. But the mall has created more traffic, which makes it really loud. Since I rarely shop at the mall and could get a cheaper place in a neighborhood I like, I don’t think I should renew my lease.
Which of the following is the conclusion of this argument?
In the previous argument, the statement “my rent is about to go up” is what’s known as a subordinate or secondary conclusion, a statement that is the main point of a small argument that also functions as a premise in a larger argument.
The premise supporting this subordinate conclusion is the statement “Because there’s a new mall in the area.” However, in the larger argument, the subordinate conclusion also functions as a premise in support of the main conclusion:
“Because . . . my rent is about to go up . . . I don’t think I should renew my lease.”
You can click here to practice identifying the various parts of an argument in a more complicated passage.