Values are an important part of argumentation not only
because of how they relate to pathos but how they relate to ethos as well. A
person’s credibility in an argument can be one of the most important factors to
decision makers, and often times a person’s set of values can disqualify them
in the eyes of decision makers in certain spheres. For example, the book says
that the dominant value system in the United States is the enlightenment value
system, which focuses on intellectual freedom and an individual’s ability to
discover the natural laws of life. So, if a person in an argument uses language
that suggests they hold values contrary to the enlightenment value system, they
could be viewed as not credible in the eyes of decision makers from our
culture. This principle can apply to individual arguments as well, as a person’s
set of values could hurt their credibility in discussion a certain topic. For
example, a person who holds the values that men are superior to women could be
seen as not credible when discussing abortion, because they are not likely to
take a woman’s individual rights into account when formulating their argument.
Values are a useful tool not only for supporting arguments but also for
understanding the different parties in an argument as well. If a person’s
values are made clear through their speech, it can be easier to predict what
stance they will take and also how well equipped they are to take that stance.
Chapter five focuses primarily on identifying and developing propositions for problems that people think are relevant. It goes over 6 steps for choosing a valid proposition based on a perceived “feeling of doubt.” While all six steps may not be necessary, the collectively ensure a well thought out and firm proposition. The six steps include identifying the question, surveying implicated objectives (or understanding what is the goal accomplishment in regard to the question), searching for new information, considering alternative options, considering costs and risks of each potential proposition, and then finally choosing one of the propositions. The authors then go on to talk about analyzing and strengthening the proposition chosen. This includes identification and ranking of the issues that the proposition addresses as well as understanding how the decision makers will react to these issues and propositions. In general, with all these methods of critically analyzing the proposition, ...
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