Preface

Practical argument: A text and anthology - Laurie G. Kirszner, Stephen R. Mandell 2019


Preface

In recent years, many college composition programs have integrated argumentation into their first-year writing sequence, and there are good reasons for this. Argumentation is central to both academic and public discourse, so students who are skilled at argumentation are able to participate in the dynamic, ongoing discussions that take place in their classrooms and in their communities. Argumentation teaches the critical-thinking skills that are valuable in an often contentious, sometimes divided sociopolitical landscape—and particularly necessary for academic success.

What has surprised and troubled us as teachers, however, is that many college argument texts are simply too difficult, with excessively technical terminology and unnecessarily abstract discussions. We want students to feel that they are part of a discourse community within which they can use the principles of argumentation with confidence and skill. With this in mind, we drew on our years of classroom experience to create Practical Argument: A Text and Anthology. In this fourth edition, Practical Argument remains a straightforward and accessible introduction to argumentative writing that explains concepts in understandable language and illustrates them with examples that actually mean something to students, covering contemporary issues that affect their lives as well as the kinds of visual arguments they see every day. Practical Argument is an ideal alternative for instructors who see currently available argument texts as too big, too complicated, and too intimidating for their students.

In short, our goal in this text is to demystify the study of argument. To this end, we focus on the things that students actually need to know. Practical Argument works because its approach is practical: It helps students make connections between what they learn in the classroom and what they experience outside of it. As they do so, they become comfortable with the rhetorical skills that are central to effective argumentation. We (and our many users) believe that there’s no other book like it.

Organization

Practical Argument, both a text and a reader, includes everything students and instructors need for an argument course in a single book.

§ Part 1, Understanding Argument, discusses the role of argument in everyday life and the value of studying argument, offers definitions of what argument is and is not, explains the means of persuasion (appeals to logos, pathos, and ethos), and defines and illustrates the basic elements of argument (thesis, evidence, refutation, and concluding statement).

§ Part 2, Reading and Responding to Arguments, explains and illustrates critical thinking and reading; visual argument; writing a rhetorical analysis; logic and logical fallacies; and Rogerian argument, Toulmin logic, and oral arguments.

§ Part 3, Writing an Argumentative Essay, traces and illustrates the process of planning, drafting, and revising an argumentative essay.

§ Part 4, Using Sources to Support Your Argument, covers locating and evaluating print and online sources; summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting, and synthesizing sources; documenting sources in MLA style; and using sources responsibly.

§ Part 5, Strategies for Argument, explains and illustrates the most common kinds of arguments—definition arguments, cause-and-effect arguments, evaluation arguments, ethical arguments, and proposal arguments, along with additional material covering stasis theory. Part 5 Review shows how these argumentative strategies can be combined in a single essay.

§ Part 6, Debates, Casebooks, and Classic Arguments, includes both contemporary and classic arguments. The contemporary arguments are arranged in four pro-con debates and four in-depth casebooks on issues such as how to solve the opioid problem and whether the United States should have open borders. The classic arguments include well-known pieces by writers such as Jonathan Swift, George Orwell, Betty Friedan, and Rachel Carson.

§ Appendixes. Appendix A provides instruction on writing literary arguments, and Appendix B covers APA documentation style.

Key Features

Accessible in a Thoughtful Way

Practical Argument covers everything students need to know about argument but doesn’t overwhelm them. It limits technical vocabulary to what students and instructors actually need to understand and discuss key concepts in argument and argumentative writing. In short, Practical Argument is argument made accessible.

Argument Step by Step, Supported by Helpful Apparatus

Practical Argument takes students through a step-by-step process of reading and responding to others’ arguments and writing, revising, and editing their own arguments. The book uses a classroom-tested, exercise-driven approach that encourages students to participate actively in their own learning process. Chapters progress in a clear, easy-to-understand sequence: students are asked to read arguments, identify their key elements, and develop a response to an issue in the form of a complete, documented argumentative essay based on in-book focused research.

Exercises and writing assignments for each selection provide guidance for students as they work toward creating a finished piece of writing. Throughout the text, checklists, grammar-in-context and summary boxes, and source and gloss notes provide support. In addition, more than a dozen unique templates for paragraph-length arguments—located with the end-of-chapter exercises—provide structures that students can use for guidance as they write definition arguments, cause-and-effect arguments, evaluation arguments, ethical arguments, and proposal arguments. Sentence templates also frequently appear in the questions that follow the readings, providing an opportunity for students to work up to arguments at the paragraph level.

A Thematically Focused Approach with Compelling Chapter Topics

Students learn best when they care about and are engaged in an issue. For this reason, Practical Argument uses readings and assignments to help students learn argumentation in the context of one high-interest contemporary issue per chapter. Chapter topics include environmental solutions, free speech, technology and privacy, student debt, student safety, and distinguishing between real news and misinformation—issues that have real meaning in students’ lives.

Readings on Relevant and Interesting Issues

Practical Argument, Fourth Edition, includes over 110 accessible and thought-provoking professional readings on issues that students will want to read about and debate including selections from journals and blogs. The book also uses a variety of new visual argument selections, and seventeen sample student essays, more than in any other argument book, provide realistic models. Each student essay, including complete MLA and APA research papers, is annotated to further assist students through their own writing process. The mixture of professional and student essays, visual pieces, debates, and casebooks cover high-interest issues like campus speech, privacy in technology, immigration, women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), paying college athletes, student debt, self-driving cars, and more. A collection of ten classic arguments offers more challenging approaches to enduring issues.

An Open and Inviting Full-Color Design

The fresh, contemporary look of Practical Argument will engage students. This open, colorful design eliminates the sea of dense type that is typical of many other argument books. Over a hundred photographs and other visuals—such as advertisements, cartoons, charts and graphs, and web pages—provide appealing and instructive real-world examples. The use of open space and numerous images reinforces the currency of the book’s themes and also creates an inviting and visually stimulating format.

New to This Edition

Essays, Topics, and Images

The fourth edition includes over seventy engaging new essays—a majority of the readings—covering such timely topics as campus environmental programs, the effects of social media, gun safety initiatives, and health care. These essays have been carefully selected for their high-interest subject matter as well as for their effectiveness as sources and as teaching models for student writing.

Debates and Casebooks

In addition to retaining some of the most popular debate and casebook topics and readings, we have added three new debates and two new casebooks to provide students with a variety of viewpoints on some of today’s most compelling issues.

New debates:

§ Should We Embrace Self-Driving Cars?

§ Should College Athletes Be Paid?

§ Should the United States Establish a Universal Basic Income?

New casebooks:

§ How Should We Solve the Opioid Problem?

§ Should the United States Have Open Borders?

Visual Arguments

Coverage of visual arguments has been expanded in this edition. Every chapter in Part 5, as well as each casebook, now includes a visual argument, accompanied by questions designed to focus students’ attention on how to “read” a visual and understand its persuasive elements. Additional images throughout the book, including photos, advertisements, public-service announcements, cartoons, and more, add an extra dimension and additional perspective to the process of analyzing arguments.

New Coverage

Practical Argument continues to cover essential topics in argumentation, and the fourth edition has new coverage of stasis theory, refutation, and reading visual arguments.

Bedford/St. Martin’s puts you first

From day one, our goal has been simple: to provide inspiring resources that are grounded in best practices for teaching reading and writing. For more than 35 years, Bedford/St. Martin’s has partnered with the field, listening to teachers, scholars, and students about the support writers need. We are committed to helping every writing instructor make the most of our resources.

How can we help you?

§ Our editors can align our resources to your outcomes through correlation and transition guides for your syllabus. Just ask us.

§ Our sales representatives specialize in helping you find the right materials to support your course goals.

§ Our Bits blog on the Bedford/St. Martin’s English Community (community.macmillan.com) publishes fresh teaching ideas weekly. You’ll also find easily downloadable professional resources and links to author webinars on our community site.

Contact your Bedford/St. Martin’s sales representative or visit macmillanlearning.com to learn more.

Print and Digital Options for Practical Argument

Choose the format that works best for your course, and ask about our packaging options that offer savings for students.

Print

§ Short edition. For instructors who only want to use Parts 1—4 of the book, we offer Practical Argument, Short Fourth Edition, featuring Chapters 1—11 to cover the basics of reading, writing, and researching arguments, for instructors who are looking to do more with less. To order the short edition, use ISBN 978-1-319-20721-2.

§ Loose-leaf edition. This format does not have a traditional binding; its pages are loose and hole punched to provide flexibility and a lower price to students. It can be packaged with our digital space for additional savings.

Digital

§ Innovative digital learning space. Bedford/St. Martin’s suite of digital tools makes it easy to get everyone on the same page by putting student writers at the center. For details, visit macmillanlearning.com/englishdigital.

§ Popular e-book formats. For details about our e-book partners, visit macmillanlearning.com/ebooks.

§ Inclusive Access. Enable every student to receive their course materials through your LMS on the first day of class. Macmillan Learning’s Inclusive Access program is the easiest, most affordable way to ensure all students have access to quality educational resources. Find out more at macmillanlearning.com/inclusiveaccess.

Your Course, Your Way

No two writing programs or classrooms are exactly alike. Our Curriculum Solutions team works with you to design custom options that provide the resources your students need. (Options below require enrollment minimums.)

§ ForeWords for English. Customize any print resource to fit the focus of your course or program by choosing from a range of prepared topics, such as Sentence Guides for Academic Writers.

§ Macmillan Author Program (MAP). Add excerpts or package acclaimed works from Macmillan’s trade imprints to connect students with prominent authors and public conversations. A list of popular examples or academic themes is available upon request.

§ Bedford Select. Build your own print handbook or anthology from a database of more than 900 selections, and add your own materials to create your ideal text. Package with any Bedford/St. Martin’s text for additional savings. Visit macmillanlearning.com/bedfordselect.

Instructor Resources

You have a lot to do in your course. We want to make it easy for you to find the support you need—and to get it quickly.

Resources for Teaching Practical Argument is available as a PDF that can be downloaded from macmillanlearning.com. In addition to chapter overviews and teaching tips, the instructor’s manual includes sample syllabi, sample answers to questions from the book, and suggested classroom activities.

Acknowledgments

The following reviewers gave us valuable feedback as we prepared the fourth edition of Practical Argument: Yaw Adu-Gyamfi, Liberty University; Emily Andrews, Volunteer State Community College; Kathryn Baker, Santa Fe College; Carol Bledsoe, Florida Gulf Coast University; Molly Brown, Clinton Community College; Jennifer Coenen, University of Florida; Emily Cosper, Delgado Community College; Joseph Couch, Montgomery College; Jason DePolo, North Carolina A&T State University; Andrea D. Green, Motlow State Community College; Lindsey Jungman, University of Minnesota Duluth; Jill Kronstadt, Montgomery College; Leslie LaChance, Volunteer State Community College; Felicia M. Maisey, LaSalle University; Danizete Martinez, University of New Mexico-Valencia; Carola Mattord, Kennesaw State University; James Mense, St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley; Amanda Palleschi, University of the District of Columbia Community College; Barbara B. Parsons, Tacoma Community College; Christina Rothenbeck, Louisiana State University; David Seelow, Maria College; Wayne Sneath, Davenport University; Roger Swafford, Des Moines Area Community College—Ankeny Campus; David M. Taylor, St. Louis Community College—Meramec; Marlea Trevino, Grayson College; Ashley Whitmore, University of Michigan-Dearborn; Alex Wulff, Maryville University.

We thank Jeff Ousborne, Deja Ruddick, Elizabeth Rice, and Michelle McSweeney for their valuable contributions to this text.

At Bedford/St. Martin’s, Joan Feinberg, Denise Wydra, Karen Henry, Steve Scipione, Leasa Burton, and John Sullivan were involved and supportive from the start of the project. John, in particular, helped us to shape this book and continues to provide valuable advice and support. In this fourth edition, we have had the pleasure of working with Jesse Hassenger, our knowledgeable, professional, and creative editor. His addition to our team has helped to make Practical Argument a better book. Coeditor Lexi DeConti and assistant editor Cari Goldfine devoted many hours to locating images and helping with manuscript prep where needed. Once again, Matt Glazer patiently and efficiently shepherded the book through the production process. Others on our team included project manager Nagalakshmi Karunanithi; Joy Fisher Williams who was instrumental in marketing the book; Krystyna Borgen and Angela Boehler, who obtained image permissions; Kalina Ingham and Mark Schaefer, who handled text permissions; and Diana Blume, who developed our design. We are grateful to everyone on our team for their help.

Finally, we would like to thank each other for lunches past—and lunches to come.

Laurie G. Kirszner

Stephen R. Mandell

How Practical Argument Supports WPA Outcomes for First-Year Composition

The following chart provides information on how Practical Argument helps students build proficiency and achieve the learning outcomes set by the Council of Writing Program Administrators, which writing programs across the country use to assess their students’ work.

Rhetorical Knowledge

Learn and use key rhetorical concepts through analyzing and composing a variety of texts.

  • An Introduction to Argument features a detailed section on determining the rhetorical situation, considering the writer, purpose, audience, and context, and more. Part 2: Reading and Responding to Arguments takes students through a scaffolded process of reading, analyzing, and responding to texts. Part 3: Writing an Argumentative Essay goes into greater detail on the writing process.

Gain experience reading and composing in several genres to understand how genre conventions shape and are shaped by readers’ and writers’ practices and purposes.

  • Practical Argument features over 100 readings from a variety of genres, sources, and authors, including sample student work throughout the book. Part 5: Strategies for Argument covers various approaches to argument, including definitions (Chapter 12), cause and effect (Chapter 13), evaluation (Chapter 14), ethics (Chapter 15), proposal (Chapter 16), and combined strategies. The book also covers Rogerian and Toulmin arguments in Chapter 6.

Develop facility in responding to a variety of situations and contexts calling for purposeful shifts in voice, tone, level of formality, design, medium, and/or structure.

  • Chapters 1—16 include multiple exercises, building students up to writing responses to various types of arguments, including all of the strategies covered in Part 5.

Understand and use a variety of technologies to address a range of audiences.

  • Practical Argument covers both written and oral arguments, and discusses a variety of technologies particularly in the location and evaluation of sources.

Match the capacities of different environments (e.g., print and electronic) to varying rhetorical situations.

  • In addition to coverage noted above that helps students understand rhetorical situations, specific guidance on different environments includes the use of images of arguments (Chapter 3) and composing/delivering oral arguments (Chapter 6).

Critical Thinking, Reading, and Composing

Use composing and reading for inquiry, learning, critical thinking, and communicating in various rhetorical contexts.

  • Chapter 2 guides students through active reading, critical thinking, and composing critical responses based on those skills, while Part 5 gets more specific in how to communicate in different rhetorical modes.

Read a diverse range of texts, attending especially to relationships between assertion and evidence, to patterns of organization, to the interplay between verbal and nonverbal elements, and to how these features function for different audiences and situations.

  • Over 70 readings are new to this edition of Practical Argument, with an emphasis on diverse authors and sources, and more visuals for analysis than ever before. Many of these readings are organized by different argument strategies in Part 5.

Locate and evaluate (for credibility, sufficiency, accuracy, timeliness, bias, and so on) primary and secondary research materials, including journal articles and essays, books, scholarly and professionally established and maintained databases or archives, and informal electronic networks and Internet sources.

  • Part 4: Using Sources to Support Your Argument includes two full chapters of material on locating and evaluating research materials: Chapter 8 and Chapter 9.

Use strategies — such as interpretation, synthesis, response, critique, and design/redesign — to compose texts that integrate the writer’s ideas with those from appropriate sources.

  • As mentioned above, Chapter 9 gives students a complete picture of how to quote, summarize, paraphrase, synthesize, and otherwise integrate sourced material.

Processes

Develop a writing project through multiple drafts.

  • Chapter 7 covers drafting, revising, and polishing essays.

Develop flexible strategies for reading, drafting, reviewing, collaborating, revising, rewriting, rereading, and editing.

  • Chapter 2 covers reading strategies including previewing, close reading, and looking for comprehension clues, while the above-mentioned Chapter 7 includes drafting, reviewing, collaborating, revising, rewriting, and editing.

Use composing processes and tools as a means to discover and reconsider ideas.

  • Chapter 4 gives the framework of composing as a means of students considering and analyzing ideas about arguments.

Experience the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes.

  • Chapter 7 includes guidelines for peer review.

Learn to give and to act on productive feedback to works in progress.

  • Chapter 7 also includes a section about getting feedback.

Adapt composing processes for a variety of technologies and modalities.

  • Chapter 6 covers oral arguments, while Part 4 includes digital-based sources.

Reflect on the development of composing practices and how those practices influence their work.

  • Checklists throughout the book invite students to reflect on their reading and writing processes, and scaffolded exercises throughout Parts 1—5 provide opportunities for active reflection.

Knowledge of Conventions

Develop knowledge of linguistic structures, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling, through practice in composing and revising.

  • Grammar in Context boxes throughout the text offer practical tips that can be applied to the processes of composing, revising, and editing.

Understand why genre conventions for structure, paragraphing, tone, and mechanics vary.

  • In addition to the book’s grammar coverage, the “Understanding Your Purpose and Audience” section in Chapter 7 helps students examine how an author’s methods differ in relation to their purpose and audience.

Gain experience negotiating variations in genre conventions.

  • The exercises and assignments throughout Chapters 1—16 offer a variety of writing assignments in different formats, including Rogerian, Toulmin, definition, cause-and-effect, ethical, evaluation, and proposal arguments.

Learn common formats and/or design features for different kinds of texts.

  • Chapter 3 includes examination of design elements and visually augmented texts.

Explore the concepts of intellectual property (such as fair use and copyright) that motivate documentation conventions.

  • Chapter 11 goes into detail about the responsibilities of using intellectual property in an academic context.

Practice applying citation conventions systematically in their own work.

  • Chapter 10 offers all the essentials of MLA documentation.