Have you ever wanted to convince someone about something? Have you been told that you lack arguments to convince? Surely yes. However, it is also very likely that you do not know what they are talking about. Do you know what an argument is? We are going to tell you everything.
At an academic and scientific level in general, argumentation is an a priori process to establish relevant approaches. They are not only used as the foundation of the different research methodologies, but they are the fundamental basis of human communication.
To make it clearer, the arguments present a communicative perspective on the conceptual plane of human thought. It is not something very structured, because really the ability to form arguments is innate to human beings.
Almost all our lives we spend giving explanations. Since we are aware of our actions, we try to explain why we do something and why we stop doing it. For example, when we were children, if we broke something, we would explain how things happened. The same if we were to fight with our brother.
Many times, they agreed with us and other times, they condemned us, regardless of whether we were right or not. This was because of how convincing our arguments were. If we express an iota of doubt, it is considered that our arguments were not solid. On the other hand, the opposite is said if we demonstrate firmness and conviction in our affirmations.
We do not always try very hard to show that we are telling the truth. We do it only when issues that we consider important are at stake, such as our reputation, our credibility, our relationship with someone else, etc.
However, there are professions where arguing correctly is essential for good performance. One of them is the law. When a lawyer does not have the ability to refute a dispute or tip the scales in his favor, he is seen as not doing a good job, and is likely to be underhired because he is not efficient.
However, the word argument is not only related to the legal field. It is also used in other contexts. Therefore, in order to use it appropriately, it is important not only to know its meaning, but also what it implies. In this way we will have the certainty of having used it correctly.
Also, if we apply it in our daily lives, our words will have more strength and solidity, which will make us worthy of greater credibility from the people around us. This short article will help you always have good arguments.
Instructions
An argument is a proof or demonstration of a specific matter, which is based on logical reasoning so that it can be accepted. It can be presented both orally and in writing.
It is in charge of seeking to justify a certain position on a certain matter, through a series of logical conclusions that are drawn from it. Therefore, when we talk about arguing, we mean giving arguments to the other, just as lawyers do during a trial to prove the truth of their claims and convince the jury.
Although they are part of the opinions and discourses, they are not always entirely convincing, as we have expressed before. So they are not always successful in convincing, motivating or defending.
For an argument to be considered valid, it must have a logical procedure. Which, in turn, must be consistent and coherent. In other words, you must not contradict yourself. When they are not valid, they are considered as simple fallacies.
Now, contrary to what you knew up to now, it is important to clarify that there are different types of arguments, which we will mention and define below.
How to argue?
- The first thing you should do is choose the premises. For that, it is necessary to be well informed, to know what we will talk about and what our position is on it.
- After you have selected the premises, the next thing to do is choose what will be used as the statement. That is, what justifies or supports the premise.
- Next, you must find the appropriate reasoning. Which implies selecting the methods of logical justification to support your statement. It is nothing more than the path you will travel to reach the goal you set for yourself.
- Finally, you will need to take advantage of the evidence. Which means, review the arguments of third parties, the criteria of authority and any other means to be able to support the initial premises. For example, in the field of science, it could be the scientific articles related to the topic, the theories of the researchers, etc.
If you follow this structure, you will be sure that your arguments will be logical and convincing.
What do you need:
The arguments may vary depending on their content and the procedure used. From this idea, we can say that there are many types of arguments, since there is no single way of arguing. Some of its types are:
- Deductive: are those that start from an idea, which is considered safe and probable. That is why valid conclusions are drawn that go from the most general to the particular. This kind of argument is very common in areas like science and logic. However, it is limited by the truth of its premises.
- The inductive: in this case, do not start from a certain idea. Rather, from two isolated premises to reach a conclusion that is probable but is not verifiable.
- The causes: are those that start from the relationship of one situation with another, according to the law of cause and effect. So a relationship of consequence is established that might not be true.
- By generalization: it is about the attribution of a property or characteristic to a set of elements, just because a few, that make up that group, have manifested it. For example, if two children are hyperactive, then all children are.
But, in order to make an argument, you need to be aware of what are the elements that make up an argument.
Its structure
The arguments are made up of two basic and essential elements:
- The premises: this is the starting point, from which a result can be found.
- The conclusions: these depend on the premises and are obtained by some logical procedure. When you do, you reach the end of the plot.
These two elements, in turn, are organized in this way:
- The affirmation: it is the initial part of the premise, that is, what we want to prove or justify.
- The reasoning: it is the reason for the initial statement. The logical or formal argument that supports the idea to be confirmed.
- Evidence: these are the tests that we offer in order to verify or demonstrate the reasoning that we have raised.
Tips
- The first thing you should do is choose the premises. For that, it is necessary to be well informed, to know what we will talk about and what our position is on it.
- After you have selected the premises, the next thing to do is choose what will be used as the statement. That is, what justifies or supports the premise.
- Next, you must find the appropriate reasoning. Which implies selecting the methods of logical justification to support your statement. It is nothing more than the path you will travel to reach the goal you set for yourself.
- Finally, you will need to take advantage of the evidence. Which means, review the arguments of third parties, the criteria of authority and any other means to be able to support the initial premises. For example, in the field of science, it could be the scientific articles related to the topic, the theories of the researchers, etc.
If you follow this structure, you will be sure that your arguments will be logical and convincing.
How to produce a good argument?
Many times people stay arguing about the premises, but do not reach a conclusion. It can also happen that the premises are clear, but you do not agree with a conclusion.
Be that as it may, it is important to review the arguments considered valid in order to support or contradict an approach. Therefore, the argument is about finding these valid arguments so that you can defend an idea raised, to the point of convincing your interlocutor to support your thesis.
Proving that your argument is true or probable is the basis for persuading others; but how to achieve a good argument? Having good arguments. Argumentation as a process helps you to better organize your thinking; Now, you have to add logic to the structuring of the arguments so that you are coherent in your approaches.
Remember, every argument affirms or denies something. If you have paid attention to reading this post; then you will be able to produce good arguments, if you cannot produce good arguments it is because the subject has not yet been clear to you; therefore, we will be more specific about how you can produce good arguments.
How can you present the arguments clearly? Using different argumentation techniques that we will explain below:
- Argue with examples: remember, it is not enough to give a single example; They must be at least three and very coherent with the theme. It may even be interesting to analyze the counterexamples in order to avoid an overgeneralization.
- Making analogies: presenting similarities between different processes helps to better understand the arguments. For example, explain the learning process from eating by making an analogy between eating and learning.
- Explain the causes that originate the argument: by explaining the process of understanding a cause, the argument presented can be seen more clearly. Explaining how an idea came to be taken as true is important to persuade the other.
- Use deductive arguments: if the conclusion is drawn directly from the premises, the arguments will be clearer. However, to avoid doubting your premises, it is important to explain the process in detail. For example, if X, then Y; X, therefore Y.
- Reductio ad absurdum: To be able to argue against a thesis, you can take that idea through deductive analysis to absurdity and shoot down the thesis. For example, if someone argues that you have stolen something from his house, you deduce that you were not at his house when the object was lost and since you cannot be in two places at the same time, his accusation is absurd.