In Chapter 13, the authors of the text discuss argumentation in science. They stress that scientific methods are best when we try to make an understanding of our world accessible to ourselves and the people around us. The authors remark, “Scientific standards for evidence and argument are held up as the way to understand what the natural world is like” (Rieke, Sillars, & Peterson, 204). Science provides an extremely persuasive narrative, and the authors believe that this is because science appears so consistent with many of our society’s core values like knowledge, order, usefulness, prediction, and especially rationality. When we combine these values, we make rational decisions that ultimately are useful to us. I believe this is why we popularly emphasize argument with approaches that are based in thinking oriented around scientific methods of reasoning.
Scientific approaches to argumentation don’t only appear in labs or a physics lecture, either. We use these approaches commonly in everyday life and casual arguments that we have among ourselves. For instance, my stepmother and father seem to only argue using scientific methods. They strongly prefer values like rationality and usefulness. When I was choosing between universities to attend, I had to argue that the University of Minnesota was a better choice for me than Northwestern University. My parents were baffled and failed to acknowledge my argument for choosing the University of Minnesota when they felt choosing Northwestern was a more useful and rational decision. I realized that our values were out of sync, and had to adjust my argument to include appeals to their scientific values. Hence, using scientific methods of thinking approaching argumentation doesn’t only apply to arguments in the scientific sphere, but they can be and are often used even in everyday instances.
Scientific approaches to argumentation don’t only appear in labs or a physics lecture, either. We use these approaches commonly in everyday life and casual arguments that we have among ourselves. For instance, my stepmother and father seem to only argue using scientific methods. They strongly prefer values like rationality and usefulness. When I was choosing between universities to attend, I had to argue that the University of Minnesota was a better choice for me than Northwestern University. My parents were baffled and failed to acknowledge my argument for choosing the University of Minnesota when they felt choosing Northwestern was a more useful and rational decision. I realized that our values were out of sync, and had to adjust my argument to include appeals to their scientific values. Hence, using scientific methods of thinking approaching argumentation doesn’t only apply to arguments in the scientific sphere, but they can be and are often used even in everyday instances.
Reference:
Rieke, R.D., Sillars, M.O., & Peterson, T.R. (2013). Argumentation and critical decision making (8th ed.). New York: Pearson.
Rieke, R.D., Sillars, M.O., & Peterson, T.R. (2013). Argumentation and critical decision making (8th ed.). New York: Pearson.
Since when it comes to arguing you claim, the importance of using science and facts is great because most people will not be convinced to agree with you if they simply think it is an opinion of that is not being based on any facts or science. One of the best ways to argue with people is to be rational, which is something that is present in science. You also mention using scientific reasoning and it’s usefulness, I would agree that it’s a method which would be very effective during any form of argumentation and it is also the way that I try to argue my claims. Being rational and basing your claims with scientific reasoning is a solid way of constructing ones argument.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post about Chapter 13 as I did not read the chapter and was still able to understand the basics of argumentation in science through your explanation. I thought it was very powerful when you talked about scientific approaches outside the sphere of science in people’s daily lives. When thinking about this daily use of the scientific method in everyday argument, I immediately thought of the specific backings that are required in this type of argument. Whether it is actually science related or not, backing is always required to support the grounds and ideas in an argument. Backing scientific arguments with data, statistics, and other types of information is always necessary to prove a point and actually explain its validity. In terms of scientific method in a more general or everyday sense, it will still need more information, testimony, instances, and credibility to successfully make an argument. In the case with your parents, you clearly used various types of backing to support your claim about which school to attend and were definitely successful in doing so.
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