| Preface | ix |
| Introduction | xi |
| I. | Composing a Short Argument: Some General Rules | 1 |
| 1. | Distinguish premises and conclusion | 1 |
| 2. | Present your ideas in a natural order | 3 |
| 3. | Start from reliable premises | 4 |
| 4. | Be concrete and concise | 5 |
| 5. | Avoid loaded language | 6 |
| 6. | Use consistent terms | 7 |
| 7. | Stick to one meaning for each term | 8 |
| II. | Arguments by Example | 10 |
| 8. | Give more than one example | 11 |
| 9. | Use representative examples | 12 |
| 10. | Background information is crucial | 14 |
| 11. | Consider counterexamples | 17 |
| III. | Arguments by Analogy | 19 |
| 12. | Analogy requires a relevantly similar example | 21 |
| IV. | Arguments from Authority | 24 |
| 13. | Sources should be cited | 25 |
| 14. | Seek informed sources | 26 |
| 15. | Seek impartial sources | 28 |
| 16. | Cross-check sources | 30 |
| 17. | Personal attacks do not disqualify a source | 30 |
| V. | Arguments about Causes | 32 |
| 18. | Explain how cause leads to effect | 33 |
| 19. | Propose the most likely cause | 35 |
| 20. | Correlated events are not necessarily related | 36 |
| 21. | Correlated events may have a common cause | 36 |
| 22. | Either of two correlated events may cause the other | 38 |
| 23. | Causes may be complex | 38 |
| VI. | Deductive Arguments | 40 |
| 24. | Modus Ponens | 41 |
| 25. | Modus Tollens | 42 |
| 26. | Hypothetical Syllogism | 44 |
| 27. | Disjunctive Syllogism | 46 |
| 28. | Dilemma | 47 |
| 29. | Reductio ad absurdum | 48 |
| 30. | Deductive arguments in several steps | 50 |
| VII. | Composing an Argumentative Essay | |
| A. | Exploring the Issue | 53 |
| A1. | Explore the arguments on all sides of the issue | 54 |
| A2. | Question and defend each argument's premises | 56 |
| A3. | Revise and rethink arguments as they emerge | 57 |
| VIII. | Composing an Argumentative Essay | |
| B. | Main Points of the Essay | 59 |
| B1. | Explain the question | 59 |
| B2. | Make a definite claim or proposal | 60 |
| B3. | Develop your arguments fully | 61 |
| B4. | Consider objections | 62 |
| B5. | Consider alternatives | 63 |
| IX. | Composing an Argumentative Essay | |
| C. | Writing | 64 |
| C1. | Follow your outline | 64 |
| C2. | Keep the introduction brief | 65 |
| C3. | Give your arguments one at a time | 65 |
| C4. | Clarify, clarify, clarify | 67 |
| C5. | Support objections with arguments | 68 |
| C6. | Don't claim more than you have shown | 69 |
| X. | Fallacies | 71 |
| The Two Great Fallacies | 71 |
| Some Classical Fallacies | 73 |
| Appendix | Definition | 79 |
| D1. | When terms are unclear, get specific | 80 |
| D2. | When terms are contested, work from the clear cases | 82 |
| D3. | Don't expect definitions to do the work of arguments | 84 |
| Next Steps | 86 |
Format: Textbook Paperback, 3rd ed., 8
