Reading Journal
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| Title of Article + Proper MLA Citation for Works Cited page | Jones, Rebecca. “Finding the Good Argument OR Why Brother With Logic?” Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Volume 1, a peer-reviewed open textbook series for the writing classroom, and is published through Parlor Press. Pgs. 156-59 & 166-68. |
| Summarize the article — include your reaction, thoughts, anything to help you remember its claims. 100 to 150 words | When thinking about an argument sometimes we associate it with war. However, stated in the document, while “argument is war” may be the default mode for Americans, it is not the only way to argue.” We should imagine it as, “argument is dance.” “The appeals” offer a lesson in rhetoric that sticks with you long after the class has ended.(166) The usefulness of ethos, pathos, and logos come in to play to help the concept. These help persuade the audience in a variety of ways.
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| Define new terms and concepts by quoting or paraphrasing the original author. | Jones states, “While “argument is war” may be the default mode for Americans, it is not the only way to argue. Lakoff and Johnson ask their readers to imagine something like “argument is dance” rather than “argument is war.” Average Americans think of arguments as war, however, we should be thinking of them as something else. |
| How does this reading connect to other articles from class and/or your own research?
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I found an article on my own research titled, “What makes a good argument?” Epstein states,”We have said that the distinctive feature of an argument is that it is designed to convince a reader or a listener of a specific point or idea, known as the conclusion.” These two documents both connect the idea of a good argument. To find a good argument, you must have a strong/valid point with good reasons. |
| Based on the reading, craft one question to act as a springboard for class discussion. | When thinking of an argument, do you see it as something negative or positive? |