WRITING A TOULMIN ARGUMENT
\nENGL 1213: ENGLISH COMPOSITION II
\nWHAT IS A TOULMIN ARGUMENT?
\nDevised by British philosopher Stephen Toulmin, the Toulmin model of argument provides a framework for
\nmaking and analyzing arguments. This framework consists of six parts, each of which you use every day
\nwhen you make or encounter arguments. These six parts are:
\n1. Claim
\n2. Qualifiers
\n3. Reasons\/Evidence
\n4. Warrants
\n5. Backing
\n6. Rebuttal\/Response
\nTOULMIN ARGUMENT: THE CLAIM
\nMuch like classical argument, a Toulmin argument is centered upon a claim. The claim is the position that you
\ntake on the topic (sample nursing essay examples by the best nursing assignment writing service) of your argument. Claims — unlike statements of fact \u2013 are assertions, meaning that they
\nrequire support. Claims fall into three categories:
\n1. Claims of fact \u2013 answer the question, \u201cWhat is or is not true?\u201d
\n2. Claims of value \u2013 answer the question, \u201cWhat is a subject\u2019s worth?\u201d
\n3. Claims of policy \u2013 answer the question, \u201cWhat should be done?\u201d
\nKeep in mind that a claim is inherently debatable; that is, it is a source of disagreement. However, good claims
\nare also defendable. They are not outlandish or offensive.
\nWhen devising your claim, ask yourself, \u201cWhat am I trying to get my audience to accept, believe, or do?\u201d
\nTOULMIN ARGUMENT: QUALIFIERS
\nA qualifier is any limitation you place upon your argument so that it\u2019s more accurate and realistic. In other
\nwords, when you qualify your claim, you are reining it in so that it does not go too far.
\nFor example, let\u2019s say you are writing about the role of violent video games in aggressive behavior. At first, you
\nmake the following claim: Violent video games lead to aggressive behavior.
\nHowever, after conducting some research, you realize that studies on this topic (sample nursing essay examples by the best nursing assignment writing service) arrive at very different
\nconclusions. After revisiting your claim, you revise it to the following: In some cases, violent video games are a
\nfactor in aggressive behavior.
\nWhile still a claim of fact, the revised claim is more realistic. Violent video games are a factor in aggressive
\nbehavior in some cases. Such qualifiers show your audience that you are fair and that you avoid sweeping
\ngeneralizations.
\nTOULMIN ARGUMENT: REASONS\/EVIDENCE
\nReasons and\/or evidence make up the support for your claim. To borrow the language of the classical argument, your reasons
\nwould be comparable to your subclaims: they are why you are making the claim. The evidence, in turn, supports the reasons.
\nThis is where your research comes into play. For example:
\n\u2022 Claim: Colleges should not require textbooks for general education courses.
\n\u2022 Reason #1: Textbook costs are far too much for a college student to afford.
\n\u2022 Evidence: U.S. New & World Report notes that \u201cthe average full-time, on-campus undergraduate at a four-year
\nschool is estimated to have spent $1240 on books and supplies during the 2019-2020 academic year.\u201d
\n\u2022 Reason #2: Textbook costs continue to rise at an unsustainable rate.
\n\u2022 Evidence: CBS News reports that \u201cthe average cost of college textbooks has risen four times faster than the rate
\nof inflation over the past 10 years.\u201d
\n\u2022 Reason #3: Students who cannot afford textbooks suffer academically.
\n\u2022 Evidence: A survey conducted by U.S. PIRG found that \u201c94% of students who didn\u2019t have the required textbook
\nfor a class felt that it negatively affected their academic progress.\u201d
\nTOULMIN ARGUMENT: WARRANTS
\nAny time you make an argument, you are
\nmaking assumptions about your audience: their
\nbeliefs, their values, their views. Such
\nassumptions frequently connect the reasons of
\nyour argument to the claim.
\nFor example, if you argue that plastic straws
\nshould be banned in restaurants because they
\nare bad for the environment, you are assuming
\nthat your audience cares about the
\nenvironment. In Toulmin argument, such
\nassumptions are called warrants.
\nVisualized, the relationship between these
\ncomponents would look like:
\nReason:
\nPlastic straws
\ndamage the
\nenvironment
\nWarrant:
\nThe
\nenvironment
\nis worth
\nprotecting.
\nClaim:
\nPlastic straws
\nshould be
\nbanned in
\nrestaurants.
\nThe warrant can be thought of as the \u201csince\u201d part of the
\nargument. For example, since the environment is worth
\nprotecting, plastic straws should be banned in restaurants.
\nTOULMIN ARGUMENT: BACKING
\nIn the Toulmin model of argument, it\u2019s not enough to
\nsimply realize the assumptions you make within an
\nargument. Just as the reasons require evidence, so
\ntoo do the warrants require support. This support is
\ncalled backing. Let\u2019s use the previous example of a
\nwarrant:
\nReason:
\nPlastic straws
\ndamage the
\nenvironment
\nWarrant:
\nThe
\nenvironment
\nis worth
\nprotecting.
\nClaim:
\nPlastic straws
\nshould be
\nbanned in
\nrestaurants.
\nIf you were to take a closer look at the warrant,
\nyou would see that underlying it is additional
\nevidence. This evidence is called backing.
\nWarrant:
\nThe
\nenvironment
\nis worth
\nprotecting.
\nThe environment is worth protecting because it\u2019s
\nessential to our own survival.
\nIf the environment suffers, so too does our
\nquality of life.
\nTOULMIN ARGUMENT: REBUTTAL\/RESPONSES
\nJust as in a classical argument, a Toulmin argument anticipates that there will be objections to the claim and argument being
\nput forth. In classical argument, such objections are acknowledged and addressed in the refutation. In Toulmin argument,
\nthese objections are called conditions of rebuttal. For our purposes, we will refer to this part of the argument as the rebuttal
\nand responses.
\nFor example, if you were arguing that health care should be paid for through tax funds, you could expect several common
\nobjections:
\n\u2022 Universal health care would put an unfair tax burden on American citizens
\n\u2022 The quality of health care would suffer
\n\u2022 Due to limited revenue, health care would have to be rationed
\nAfter acknowledging these rebuttals, you would have to respond in a logical and fair manner. Your response might look like:
\n\u2022 Universal health care would raise taxes, yes \u2013 but Americans would never have to worry about going bankrupt due to illness
\n\u2022 Other nations with universal health care have excellent health care systems
\n\u2022 Under our current system, insurance companies already ration health care
\nTOULMIN MODEL ARGUMENT ANALYSIS
\nIf you organized the elements of an argument using the Toulmin model, it might look like this:
\nClaim: College tuition should be free.
\nQualifier: For those with a household income of less than 100k per year, college tuition should be free.
\nReasons: 1. Student debt is crippling, often taking decades to pay off.
\n\u2022 Evidence
\n2. Student debt forces graduates to postpone getting married, buying a house, and having children. This is bad for
\ncommunities and society.
\n\u2022 Evidence
\n3. Student debt hurts the economy by limiting the spending power of college graduates
\n\u2022 Evidence
\nWarrants: 1. A college education is meant to increase opportunities, not limit them
\n2. Having more college graduates is good for the economy.
\nBacking: Evidence proving that, traditionally, a college education has been the means of upward mobility in American society.
\nRebuttal: Evidence proving that:
\n1. Making college tuition free will raise taxes for everyone.
\n2. Making college tuition free is unfair to those who paid their way through college.
\nResponses: 1. The average American will save far more money in tuition costs than they will pay in higher taxes
\n2. Free college tuition will benefit everyone by strengthening the economy
\nARGUMENT ESSAY OUTLINE BASED ON TOULMIN MODEL
\nAfter analyzing your argument using the Toulmin model, you organize the components to follow the essay structure that suits your issue and
\naudience. Here is an outline following the Classical Argument structure:
\nClaim with Qualifier: College tuition should be free for those with a household income of less than 100k per year
\nReasons: 1. Student debt is crippling, often taking decades to pay off.
\n\u2022 Evidence
\n\u2022 Evidence
\n\u2022 Warrant: Long-term debt negatively impacts financial security.
\n\u2022 Backing: evidence that proves the warrant
\n2. Student debt forces graduates to postpone getting married, buying a house, and having children. This is bad for communities and society.
\n\u2022 Evidence
\n\u2022 Evidence
\n\u2022 Warrant Students pursue a college education to increase lifestyle opportunities, not limit them.
\n\u2022 Backing: evidence that proves the warrant.
\n3. Student debt hurts the economy by limiting the spending power of college graduates.
\n\u2022 Evidence
\n\u2022 Evidence
\n\u2022 Warrant: A strong economy is supported by people having disposable income.
\n\u2022 Backing: evidence that proves the warrant
\nRebuttal: 1. Making college tuition free will raise taxes for everyone.
\nResponse: The average American will save far more money in tuition costs than they will pay in higher taxes
\n2. Making college tuition free is unfair to those who paid their way through college.
\nResponse: Free college tuition will benefit everyone by strengthening the economy
\nProves the sub claim
\nProves the sub claim
\nProves the sub claim<\/p>\n
——–<\/p>\n
WRITING A TOULMIN ARGUMENT ENGL 1213: ENGLISH COMPOSITION II<\/p>\n
WHAT IS A TOULMIN ARGUMENT?<\/p>\n
Devised by British philosopher Stephen Toulmin, the Toulmin model of argument provides a framework for<\/p>\n
making and analyzing arguments. This framework consists of six parts, each of which you use every day<\/p>\n
when you make or encounter arguments. These six parts are:<\/p>\n
1. Claim<\/p>\n
2. Qualifiers<\/p>\n
3. Reasons\/Evidence<\/p>\n
4. Warrants<\/p>\n
5. Backing<\/p>\n
6. Rebuttal\/Response<\/p>\n
TOULMIN ARGUMENT: THE CLAIM<\/p>\n
Much like classical argument, a Toulmin argument is centered upon a claim. The claim is the position that you<\/p>\n
take on the topic (sample nursing essay examples by the best nursing assignment writing service) of your argument. Claims — unlike statements of fact \u2013 are assertions, meaning that they<\/p>\n
require support. Claims fall into three categories:<\/p>\n
1. Claims of fact \u2013 answer the question, \u201cWhat is or<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WRITING A TOULMIN ARGUMENT ENGL 1213: ENGLISH COMPOSITION II WHAT IS A TOULMIN ARGUMENT? Devised by British philosopher Stephen Toulmin, the Toulmin model of argument\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9033,7586,1386,7589,9034,9031,7587,7588,7584,7585,9032],"tags":[8809,7838,8811,8808,8813,8807,8806,8814,8810,8812],"class_list":["post-107308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-assignment-help-uae","category-best-dissertation-writing-service-in-australia","category-best-research-paper-writing-services-in-usa","category-capstone-project-writing-service","category-cheap-essay-writing-services-china","category-essay-writing-service-usa","category-legitimate-phd-dissertation-writing-services-usa","category-term-paper-writing-service","category-thesis-writing-service-in-canada","category-uae-best-dissertation-writing-help-service","category-write-my-essay-australia","tag-best-master-thesis-writing-service","tag-best-thesis-writing-services","tag-cheap-thesis-writing-services","tag-master-thesis-help","tag-master-thesis-writing-service","tag-thesis-help-online-free","tag-thesis-writing-help-online","tag-thesis-writing-services-cost","tag-thesis-writing-services-near-me","tag-thesis-writing-services-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.studyproessays.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.studyproessays.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.studyproessays.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.studyproessays.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.studyproessays.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107308"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.studyproessays.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107308\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.studyproessays.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.studyproessays.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.studyproessays.com\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}