The Norton Field Guide

• Chapter 27 (pp. 329-332)

The Norton Field Guide with Readings, 6th edition

Editors: Richard Bullock, Deborah Bertsch, & Maureen Daly Goggin

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2022

• ISBN: 9780393543766

Compose two Introductions for your Researched Argumentative Essay. The introductions should demonstrate different approaches, using different words and phrasing. Only the thesis statement will remain similar. Then, in a third paragraph, share your thoughts about which introduction you are most likely to use and why.

A few reminders:

• Paragraph 1 will be your first possible introduction.
• Paragraph 2 will be your second possible introduction.
• Paragraph 3 will be your commentary on both introductions.
• should only in 3rd person point of view (No direct address - "You would be shocked at the waste of edible foods!").
• Do not announce the topic (Example: This paper will discuss the importance of donkey farming to nomad societies in Northern Africa; In this essay, or, In this essay, I will...).

Example:

4 Introductions for the Argumentative Essay

Please refer to your professor's guidelines for acceptable Introductions.

Introduction with a question

With quoted material:

Until the middle of the twentieth century, college was largely for the rich. The GI Bill, which paid for the education of veterans returning from World War II, helped to change the situation. By 1956, nearly half of those who had served in World War II, almost 7.8 million people, had taken advantage of this benefit (US Department of Veteran Affairs) Even today, however, college graduates are still a minority of the population. Although this situation is gradually improving, it is not good for the country. Why should college just be for the privileged few? Every US citizen should have the opportunity to attend college because a college education provides important benefits, such as increased wages for residents, a stronger democracy for the nation, and the ability to compete in the global marketplace.

Without quoted material:

Until the middle of the twentieth century, college was largely for the rich. The GI Bill, which paid for the education of veterans returning from World War II, helped to change the situation. Many servicemembers took advantage of this benefit after WWI. Even today, however, college graduates are still a minority of the population. Although this situation is gradually improving, it is not good for the country. Why should college just be for the privileged few? Every US citizen should have the opportunity to attend college because a college education provides important benefits, such as increased wages for residents, a stronger democracy for the nation, and the ability to compete in the global marketplace.

Adapted from:

Sanchez, C. (2020). College should be for everyone. In L. G. Kirszner (Ed), Practical argument(p. 138). Bedford/St. Martin's. (6th edition)

Analogy

With quoted material:

Artists are to their studios as scientists are to their labs. Artists experiment with

color, texture, and medium to discern the different effects these elements have on the

eye and mind. Sometimes their experiments are fantastic successes; sometimes they

fail terribly, just as scientists might. Rather than thinking of artists as visionaries driven

by pain and inspiration, they should be thought of as hardworking risk takers, willing to

experiment until they solve the aesthetic problems they have set themselves to examine. As Constable (1893) pondered, "...should not a painter...be considered a student in Natural Philosophy, and why should not his pictures be considered but as his experiments, as in any other branch of study" (p. 2). While some may regard creating art as a random process, artists, like scientists, experiment with light, color, and shape until they get a satisfying result.

Without quoted material

Artists are to their studios as scientists are to their labs. Artists experiment with

color, texture, and medium to discern the different effects these elements have on the

eye and mind. Sometimes their experiments are fantastic successes; sometimes they

fail terribly, just as scientists might. Rather than thinking of artists as visionaries driven

by pain and inspiration, they should be thought of as hardworking risk takers, willing to

experiment until they solve the aesthetic problems they have set themselves to examine. While some may regard creating art as a random process, artists, like scientists, experiment with light, color, and shape until they get a satisfying result.

(Adapted from the Virgil Undergraduate Writing Center Web site)

Background Information

With quoted material:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. As the first writing system designed for blind people's needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. A 1996 study found that "those who learned to read using braille had higher employment rates and educational levels... [and] were more financially self-sufficient" (Ryles, 1996. p. 3). While the general public used to shun people with disabilities, the invention of Braille increased access to education, and improved blind people's social and cultural experiences.

Without quoted material:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. As the first writing system designed for blind people's needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. While the general public used to shun people with disabilities, the invention of Braille increased access to education, and improved blind people's social and cultural experiences.

(Adapted from McCombs, Shona, How to Write an Essay Introduction)

Startling Fact

About a fifth of all murders in the United States are committed by a relative of the victim and, in most cases, by the spouse. The police dread answering calls concerning domestic violence or family conflicts because of the vicious and dangerous nature of so many of these conflicts; in fact, more police officers are killed attempting to resolve these disputes than in almost any other type of situation they face (Miller, 2020, p. 75). Studies indicate that each year around 7 million couples go through a violent episode in which one spouse tries to cause the other serious pain or injury. This outburst of violence in a group of partners who are supposed to love and care for each other is not easily explained, but studies suggest that the modern family may be under greater pressures than it can easily bear due to income, employment, family roles, and cultural environment. (Author unknown)

(This type of introduction would have to have quoted material by default.)

Examples:

Twenty-One Commonly Committed Fallacies

1. Ad hominem

This trick, literally translated as "to the man," subtly or overtly distorts a person's character, destroying their credibility no matter how valid their argument is. "I was surprised you agreed with her. She's kind of an extremist."

2. Faulty use of authority

Traditionally called Argumentum ad Verecundiam or Appeal to Authority. "It's the brand Oprah uses." People often listen to someone famous or powerful, even to a celebrity who has no connection with what's being endorsed.

3. Appeal to fear This trick causes your audience to fear others and seek your protection. "Politician X will take away your freedom of speech!"

4. Appeal to pity (or sympathy) "I know I made a poor decision. But let's just look at how hard my job is." This allows manipulators to avoid responsibility for something.

5. Appeal to popular passions

Traditionally called Argumentum ad Populum. This trick implies that the manipulator shares the same views as the audience. "I know you'll all agree with this, ladies and gentlemen."

6. Begging the question

Traditionally called Petitio Principii, this fallacy leans on an argument that may not be true in the first place. "I avoid those meetings; I don't want to be brainwashed."

7. Disinformation

Manipulators know that merely launching a rumor is sometimes enough to discredit a person. "Well I don't know for sure whether she votes that way, but she does hang out with people who do."

8. False dilemma, False dichotomy (either/or)

"Either you agree with me or you hate me." A false dilemma assumes that only two options exist.

9. False analogy

"All I did was take a candy bar. Stop looking at me as if I started a war." This trick uses misleading comparisons to make the arguer seem right.

10. Faulty statistics

This involves manipulating numbers or quoting statistics from questionable sources to gain the perception of validity. "A clinical study showed kids who had a filling breakfast of cereal X improved their attentiveness by nearly 20 percent!" What we're not told, however, is that this unpublished study was funded by the company that makes cereal X, and that the attentiveness of the kids who ate the cereal was measured against that of kids given nothing but water. Twenty-One Commonly Committed Fallacies Adapted from Lindsey Wilson College's Writing Center

11. Hasty generalization

This means rushing to conclusions based on incomplete information. "The traditional family is not a safe and viable foundation for society. After all, consider the Menendez brothers, Lorena Bobbitt, and other prominent cases we read about in the media involving violence in the traditional family."

12. Ignoring the evidence

Traditionally called apiorism. We often ignore things we don't want to consider for fear they will produce more work or further confusion. "Well, I don't care why she did it. It was wrong."

13. Loaded label or definition

Loaded labels or definitions use words that evaluate or have different connotations. Those who oppose the "estate tax" have relabeled it the "death tax" in order to give it negative connotations without any markers of class or wealth. This also works the other way, in case the trickster is defending questionable actions. "That's crazy. Mike cheats all the time without getting punished, and you're hanging me out to dry after messing up once."

14. Non sequitur

Translated as "it does not follow," non sequitur refers to any claim that doesn't follow from its premises or is supported by irrelevant premises. "I should not receive a C in this course; I never get Cs."

15. Poisoning the well

Arguers poison the well by discrediting an opponent or opposing view in advance. "Hector's book, due out next February, is nothing but a lame attempt to stir up business for the organization she chairs."

16. Post hoc, ergo propter hoc

Meaning "after this, therefore because of this," this fallacy happens when a sequential relationship is mistaken for a causal relationship. "Cramming for a test really helps; I crammed for my psychology test and got an A."

17. Red herring

A red herring is an emotionally charged issue brought up to divert attention from something the manipulator wants to avoid. "You asked me why the unemployment rate has risen again, but I'll tell you what's affecting this country's morale in even worse ways than that."

18. Shifting the burden of proof (fallacy of ignorance)

Manipulators know that having to prove an argument true makes their job more difficult; so they try to shift that burden to their opponent. "You say she didn't do it. But there is no hard evidence to support that idea."

19. Slippery slope

This implies that the end result of today's actions could be something terrible. "If I give you a raise, then I have to give everyone a raise, and then the company will go bankrupt." Twenty-One Commonly Committed Fallacies Adapted from Lindsey Wilson College's Writing Center

20. Spin

Spin doctors use the media to positively represent their own viewpoints and encourage criticism of others. For example, after a political debate, each side rallies to declare their version of the outcome, hoping to spin the desired perception their way.

21. Straw man "You say you want to reform the criminal justice system. What, do you want to free all the criminals?" We do this all the time: take an argument we disagree with and mischaracterize it so it looks weak or extreme, thus making our own side appear more reasonable