A Little about Argumentative Writing

Argumentative writing, according to Ramage, Bean and Johnson in Writing Arguments, must be comprised of two equally important components: “(1) a set of two or more conflicting assertions and (2) the attempt to resolve the conflict through an appeal to reason” (11). While the first portion of the argument comes as no surprise, I was unaware that a solution to the argument should be offered to readers. I have always been one to voice my opinion; but sometimes I do not solidify my viewpoints with an alternate proposal as the authors of Writing Arguments suggest. I find it much easier—as do most people, I imagine—to simply state my argument followed by reasonable talking points as to why it is a valid stance; but proposing an entirely different solution to an argument is not something I felt was a necessary step prior to my reading the text for this particular unit. Perhaps this is attributed to my somewhat passive attitude as a “follower.” I am quite content to voice my opinion and let others take the lead in the latter part of the debate.

I am highly interested in what Ramage, Bean and Johnson refer to as “truth seeking” (13); less so in “persuasion” (13). Thus, my writing tends to be less biased and more along the lines of exculpatory argumentation. My writing seems to focus more on Logos and Ethos, rather than the emotionally charged Pathos style of argument. I tend to leave my opinions and emotion out of writing, giving attention towards the facts in question, and relying on my credibility to convey my message rather than an appeal to readers’ emotions (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson 62).

In the conclusion of Chapter 1, the authors reiterate their position on writing for both of the above mentioned reasons (23). Hopefully, I will be able to take their suggestions and by incorporating a bit of emotional appeal into my work, I can achieve a persuasive stance. The ability to persuade a reader—or better yet, to move a reader to action is a fundamental reason for writing.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings. 8^th Ed. New York: Longman, 2010.