The stasis approach pioneered by Fahnestock and Secor distinguishes among four basic questions that arguments are written to answer: What is it? (Definition arguments) How did it get that way? (Causal arguments) Is it good or bad? (Evaluation arguments) What should we do about it? (Proposal arguments) These four questions, now standard in many argument texts, give students a constructive, engaging way to analyze arguments by other writers and to construct their own arguments.

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Part One: Reading and Writing Arguments 1 An Introduction to the Study of Argument In the Media: "We Encourage You to Vote Today," The Indianapolis Star An Argument Is Addressed to a Specific Audience at a Particular Time.An Argument Wants Something from Its Audience.An Argument Gives Its Audience Reasons for What It Wants.Not All the Reasons Are Stated Openly.Arguments Are Also Supported by Calling on Readers’ Attitudes and Feelings.The Source of an Argument Matters.A Counter-Argument Is Always in the BackgroundExpanding Your Definition of Argument Contexts for ArgumentPersonalInterpersonalProfessionalPublic The Rhetorical SituationAudienceExigenceConstraints2: Building the Case: Logos In the Media: An Ad for Purina One Beef Jerky StripsAnalyzing the Advertisement for Beef Jerky Strips The Materials of Argument Building the LogosOne-Part Argument: The Claim AloneTwo-Part Argument: The EnthymemeExpanding Arguments: Branching SupportExpanding Arguments: Chains of SupportCombining Branching and Chaining Writing Your Argument: Building an Argument from Claim-Reason PairsExpanding the Three-Part Argument: The Full Toulmin Model Building Arguments with Other Positions in Mind Writing Your Argument: Taking Account of Other Positions The Building Blocks of Arguments: Values and FactsValuesFactsUsing Sources Visual Rhetoric: Arguing with Images Robert Samuelson, "The Specter of Global Aging" (Article with photo) For You to Analyze:Advertisement for Kleenex Cold Care Barry R. McCaffrey, "Don’t Legalize Those Drugs" 3 Establishing Credibility and Appealing to Emotion: Ethos and Pathos In the Media: "While the Children Sleep," A.M. RosenthalAnalyzing “While the Children Sleep” EthosThe Elements of EthosTypes of Ethos Pathos Ethos and Pathos Combine in Identification Establishing Ethos in WritingThe Intellectual Virtue of ReasonablenessThe Overall Effects of Conviction and ModerationDisclaimers: Don’t Get the Wrong Idea about Me or My Argument Writing Your Argument: Establishing Your Ethos Evoking Pathos in ArgumentChoosing Words CarefullyChoosing Powerful Examples Writing Your Argument: Evoking Pathos Fallacies Visual Rhetoric: Emotion in Images Jack Ohman, "Twin Towers" (Political cartoon) For You to Analyze:Audrey Rock-Richardson, "Pay Your Own Way! (Then Thank Mom)" Leonard Pitts, "A Letter to the Terrorists" For You to Write4: Generating the Argument: Questions and Claims In the Media: "Drug Tests Backed for Broader Pool of Students," St. Louis Post-Dispatch Analyzing “Drug Tests Backed for Broader Pool of Students” Finding Issues to ArgueAnswering Questions with ClaimsThe Four Basic QuestionsThe First Question: What Is It?The Second Question: How Did It Get That Way?The Third Question: Is It Good or Bad?The Fourth Question: What Should We Do about It?Warrants and the Four Basic QuestionsCombining the QuestionsFinding the Key Questions at IssueThe Basic Questions as a Research Strategy Writing Your Argument: Using the Basic Questions to Organize Your Research Reading for Questions: Kathryn Tolbert, "Japan’s Modern Women Living Single and Loving It" Josette Shiner, "Crucifix Can Reflect on Good Moral Character of School" Bonnie Erbe, "It Would Drive Away Students" For You to Write: A “What’s at Issue” Paper 5 Expressing Appeals: Language and Voice In the Media: "Subsidizing Illegal Residents," Ward Connerly Choosing a VoiceUsing I or Not Using IUsing You or Not Using YouDialogue Building with QuestionsUsing We or Not Using We Other Ways of Creating and Appealing to GroupsPutting the Opposition in a GroupUsing an Impersonal Voice Writing Your Argument: Finding an Effective Stance Visual Rhetoric: Visuals Involve the Viewer "I Want You for the U.S. Army," (Recruiting poster) For You to Analyze:Shawntelle Santas, "The Face of Welfare" Patricia J. Williams, "Better Safe . . . ? Diary of a Mad Law Professor" Part Two: Types of Arguments 6: Definition: What Is It? In the Media: "Scientists Determine Chimpanzees Have ‘Culture’"Analyzing “Scientists Determine Chimpanzees Have ‘Culture’” Definition: Arguing about the Nature of ThingsTypes of Definition Arguments Constructing a Definition ArgumentSupport by ExampleSupport by DefinitionSupport by Comparison Writing Your Own Definition Argument: Answering the Question “What Is It?” Drafting Your Definition ArgumentReviewing and Revising Your DefinitionWriting SuggestionsVisual Rhetoric: Neil Armstrong Walks on the Moon (photo) Comparison/Contrast AssignmentReadingsJill Henkel, "Cheerleading: A Sport or an Activity?"Michael Kelley, "One Vet’s Mission to Set the Record Straight" E. J. Dionne, "The Myth of the Fading Family"Richard Keller Simon, Much Ado about Friends: What Pop Culture Offers Literature 7: Causal Argument: How Did It Get That Way? In the Media: "Harness Fire? Mother Nature Begs to Differ" Causal Arguments: Determining Why or How Something Happened Constructing a Causal ArgumentFraming Narratives for Causal AnalysisConsidering Other Causal ModelsFitting a Narrative to a PurposeEstablishing Causal RelationshipsSupporting a Causal RelationshipOther Types of Causal Arguments Visual Rhetoric: Cause and Effect for the Eye "Crude Male Death Rate for Lung Cancer in 1950 and Per Capita Consumption of Cigarettes in 1930 in Various Countries" (Line graph) "20-year Lag Time Between Smoking and Lung Cancer" (Line graph) Writing Your Own Causal Argument: Answering the Question “How Did It Get That Way?”Drafting Your Causal ArgumentReviewing and Revising Your Causal ArgumentWriting Suggestions Readings:Hinda Gonchor "Spandex Nation" David Pitt "Beer Taxes Reduce STD Rates" James Glanz and Eric Lipton, "Expert Report Disputes U.S. on Trade Center Collapse" Samuel Casey Carter "Successful Inner City Schools Share Common Traits" 8: Evaluation: Is It Good or Bad? In the Media: "Why Generation X Is Coming Home to Morality," Stacey Felzenberg Evaluation: Determining the Value of Something Constructing a Sound EvaluationSupporting Criteria with a Specific Audience in MindPossible Subjects for EvaluationThe Evaluation as ComparisonSuperlative Evaluation Visual Rhetoric: The Eye of a Dying Whale (Photo)Close-up of the Eye of a Dying Whale (Photo) Writing Your Own Evaluation: Answering the Question “Is It Good or Bad?”Drafting Your EvaluationReviewing and Revising Your Evaluation\Writing Suggestions Readings: Nicholas D. Kristof, "Harvest the Whales" and Letters to the Editor in Response to "Harvest the Whales" Des Moines Register Editorial Board, "Leave the Flicks Alone" Jonathan V. Last, "The Best" David Ramsay Steele, "Yes, Gambling Is Productive and Rational" 9: Proposals: What Should We Do about It? In the Media: "Hollywood Simply Can No Longer Abdicate Its Responsibility to Kids"Analyzing “Hollywood Simply Can No Longer Abdicate Its Responsibility to Kids” Proposals: Arguing for ActionConvincing an Audience Constructing a Full ProposalPreliminary ArgumentsEvaluating the ConsequencesProposal StatementSupporting ArgumentsFeasibility: “It Can Be Done”Anticipating Difficult Questions Visual Rhetoric: Before and After: The Visual Proposal Advertisement for Allegra-D (Advertisement) Writing Your Own Proposal: Answering the Question “What Should We Do about It?”Drafting Your ProposalReviewing and Revising Your ProposalWriting Suggestions ReadingsMichael Novak, "With Liberty and Prayer for All" Emily Lesk, "My 60-Second Protest from the Hallway" John Solomon, "Vote, or Else" Leon Botstein, "Let Teenagers Try Adulthood" Part Three: Researching Arguments 10: Finding Sources to Support Your ClaimAn Overview of SourcesPrimary Sources That Serve as Direct Evidence in Different FieldsSecondary Sources That Offer Analysis, Interpretation, Evaluation, and CommentarySources That Help Answer Specific QuestionsLocating SourcesSearching for Sources by KeywordSearching for Library SourcesSearching for Electronic SourcesEvaluating Internet SourcesWeb Pages of Interest to Researchers11: Using Sources to Support Your ClaimTaking Effective NotesIntegrating SourcesQuotingParaphrasingSummarizingAvoiding PlagiarismWhen to Document Your SourcesCiting Sources in Your PaperUsing MLA StyleA Student Paper in MLA Style: "Add a New Clause to the American Society for Interior Designers’ Code of Ethics," Meaghan O’KeefeUsing APA StyleA Student Paper in APA Style: "Manic Depression: A Diagnostic Challenge," Daniel M. PulverPart Four: An Anthology of Arguments 12: The Promise and Perils of Globalization Aaron Lukas, "I Love Global Capitalism--and I’m under 30" Michelle Martin, "French food vs. fast food" Amartya Sen, "A World Not Neatly Divided" Paul Ehrlich, "A New Ethics for a New World" Stanley Kurtz, "Veil of Fears" 13: The Revolution in Biotechnology Carl Feldbaum, "Some History Should Be Repeated" Wesley J. Smith, "Closing in on Cloning" Virginia I. Postrel, "Fatalist Attraction" Jeremy Rifkin, "A Personal Note" 14: The Challenge of Dealing with Juvenile Crime Barbara Lerner, "The Killer Narcissists" Alfred Blumstein, "Violence by Young People: Why the Deadly Nexus?" John R. Lion and Jonas R. Rappeport, "They Do What They See: That’s Why We should Tone Down Violent Images" Lynne Lamberg, "Preventing School Violence: No Easy Answers" Michael P. Brown, "Juvenile Offenders: Should They be Tried in Adult Courts?" Bob Herbert, "Injustice and Ice Cream" 15: The Meaning of Sports in Our Society Paul Auster, "Where Have All the Young Men Gone" Linda Robertson, "Celebration or Exploitation? Women Athletes Pose Question" Bryjak, George. "Don’t Call Jocks Sports’ ‘Heroes’" S. L. Price, "The Indian Wars" Rebecca L. Adamson, "Mascot Supporters Insult Native Peoples" 16: Public Taste Elizabeth Austin, "A Small Plea to Delete a Ubiquitous Expletive" Felicity Barringer, "Breaking a Taboo, Editors Turn to Images of Death" Daniel Harris, "The Kitschification of Sept. 11" 17: The Debate on the Meaning of the First Amendment The First Ten Amendments to the Constitution Julie Bosman, "The (No) Free Speech Movement" Howard Troxler, "Once Nailed to the Door, Now Shuffled out of Sight" Linda Chavez, "The ‘Separation of Church and State’ Myth" Editorial, St Louis Post-Dispatch "Going Overboard" 27 June 2002 and Letters to the Editor, "Religious Freedom and the Pledge" 28 June 2002 Robin Cherlow, "Free Speech in the Sky"