When people argue with each other, they often become highly emotional or confrontational.
Remember the last heated argument you had with a friend or family member: at the end
of the argument, you felt angry at the other person and angry at yourself.
Nothing was accomplished.
Rather than understanding each other's point of view and working out your differences,
you effectively closed the lines of communication.
Effective argumentation keeps those lines of communication open.
Let's talk about 2 types of arguments.
First is a traditional argument.
In the traditional argument, one assumes that people are most readily convinced or persuaded
by a confrontational "debate" on the issue.
In a traditional argument, the writer argues reasonably and fairly, but the argument becomes
kind of a struggle or a "war" where the writer attempts to defeat the opposition.
In the end, the audience will see that one side has won a fight and emerged victorious
over the opposition.
In a traditional argument, you begin with a strong declarative thesis statement.
This is the same for all argument essays.
Then you give evidence and facts which helps convince your reader.
Next you provide a logical discussion that shows why you're right.
These logical points give your argument weight and help your reader believe your point of
view.
In a traditional argument you take time to research and respectfully summarize the beliefs
of your opposition, but once this is done, you must explain why they are wrong.
By the end of a traditional argument, it is clear to the reader that one point of view
has lost, and the other has won.
There should be no doubt which side was weak and which side dominated the argument.
Another style of argumentation is called the Rogerian argument.
The Rogerian argument does not take the confrontational stance of the traditional argument.
While the Rogerian argument uses reason and logic, its primary goal is not to "win" the
argument, but to open the lines of communication.
To properly open the lines of communication, the writer must present him or herself as
someone who understands and can empathize with the opposition.
The writer does this by establishing common ground with the opposition.
Basically, you want to recognize the areas you both agree on.
In a Rogerian argument, you must be willing to change your views.
Identify where you can adjust your belief.
Finally, make your argument clear by directing your audience towards a compromise or towards
a workable solution.
I hope you enjoyed watching this video about techniques for writing an argument.
Remember, you want to choose either a traditional argument or perhaps the Rogerian style of
argument, whichever suits you best.