Types of Arguments
In the book, the authors present the different types of argument, which are Arguments about the past, Arguments about the Future, Arguments about the Present, Arguments of Definition, Argument of Fact, Arguments of Evaluation, and Proposal Arguments.
Arguments about the Past they debate on the things that occurred in the past. According to Aristotle, the arguments are referred to as forensic arguments. These arguments comprise of the courts, red meat of government, academia and businesses. In this argument, people focus on knowing who did what in the past, the reasons for the action, and the liability of the action.
Arguments about the Future debate on things that will happen in the future. The arguments are the deliberative arguments, which influence the legislations and policies for the future. However, the Arguments about the Future can also be speculative in terms of reasoned guesses and projections.
Arguments about the Present are the arguments that explore the current values of a society by challenging ad affirming the core assumptions and shared beliefs. These are the arguments, which Aristotle termed as ceremonial arguments.
Arguments of definition are the arguments that people tend to argue to discover the meaning of contested issues in society. For instance, in American life today many things are being debated on such as the nature of the human fetus, the boundaries of sexual assault, and the meaning of amnesty for immigrants. However, this type of argument has consequences because they leave the matters being debated unresolved.
Arguments of facts are the arguments that involve statements that are either approved or disapproved based on specific testimonies or evidence. The argument lays conditions and terms that a case cannot be argued until its basic facts are established.
Proposal arguments are the arguments that give answers to the questions that arise from facts have been confirmed, definitions agreed and causes traced. On the other hand, Arguments of Evaluation are the arguments that present the criteria and then measure ideas and things against the set standards. The document provides relevant information for understanding the types of arguments in detail.