Two Types Of Arguments - Essay Example

Two Types of Arguments Position Argument A position argument is a type of argument where a person speaks on a topic or makes a statement regarding a point which can be debated debate (Ramage & Bean, 1989). For instance, a person can take a position for or against the topic that democracy today is present only in name and not in sprit. The key feature of the argument system is to understand the topic and then give points with examples, definitions, and words from other credible sources as well as other thinkers, writers, scientists or notables who have considered the topic in depth.

The argument begins with a premise and a thesis which supports the position being taken by the person making the argument. It should not be based on personal opinion (although there is always room to present personal opinions) rather a good argument would be based on facts, figures and data which can be supported by relevant research (Ramage & Bean, 1989). In fact, research is a fundamental part of any argument being made since it shows that a person has studied the topic in detail and the conclusions made by them are based on facts.

The argument concludes with a summation of all the facts that support the argument and (if possible) refute the facts that go against the position being taken by the speaker/writer. In the conclusion, the person making the argument can also give his/her personal opinion if it is acceptable to do so. Normally such opinions can be given unless the rules of conduct expressly forbid them as in certain setting within a court of law (Ramage & Bean, 1989). With the summation, the position argument ends with a reinforcement of the thesis and the premise of the argument.

Proposal ArgumentThis type of argument asks the writer/speaker to present a solution to a given problem or to convince the readers/audience to take some actions based on the proposal being offered to them. The central part of the argument is often emotional and people can be motivated into action by empathy, friendship, love, even fear and hatred. Despite the emotional element, a rational element is also necessary since it shows that the argument comes from a logical stand point and has the necessary factual weight behind it as a rational support (Fraigley & Lester, 2004).

Such arguments are most commonly seen on TV news shows where different speakers may present different solutions for a hot topic. For instance, the war on terror or the situation in the Middle East may bring out different responses and different proposals from various individuals and they can argue about their plan being better than the ones presented by the others (Fraigley & Lester, 2004). In such arguments, the winner is the one who can convince others why his/her plan would be beneficial as well as why the plans of the others could make the situation worse.

The plan also includes a call to action, by which the audience is motivated to do what the writer/speaker is asking them to do. The call to action is supposed to urge the users into performing some tasks for a purpose. The writer can claim a personal purpose but the emotional tint of the argument can be quite strong if nationalist, patriotic or other such elements can be added to the argument (Fraigley & Lester, 2004). There is also a danger of making the argument too emotional since in that case a wise audience may see through the speaker/writer in which case the argument would be useless.

In such cases, the justifications for why such actions are being suggested are far more important than the emotional call which can be made. Works CitedRamage, J. & Bean, J. Writing Arguments: Rhetoric with Readings. Macmillan, 1989.Fraigley, L. & Lester, J. Good Reason With Contemporary Arguments. Pearson, 2004.