refutation

Mr. Burton

What is refutation?

Two Types of Arguments:

Offensive Argument: Arguments for your side of a case or position----also called AdvancementShow positive arguments— why your team should win

Defensive Argument: Arguments that play defense against the other team's arguments----also called RefutationShow why your team should not lose

Ex. Bananas are better than oranges because they contain more potassium.Remember—arguments are not just assertions—they also explain WHY something is so (reasoning).

More about arguments of refutation

• Arguments of refutation provide CLASH because they answer arguments that are already in play– clash is when arguments directly oppose one

another

Four Step Refutation:

Ex. Bananas are better than oranges because they contain more potassium. 

Step 1: "They say..." State the argument that you are about to refute.Ex. "They say that bananas are better than oranges because they contain more potassium."

Four Step Refutation

Ex. Bananas are better than oranges because they contain more potassium. 

Step 2:  "But I disagree..." Here, you will state your basic counter-argument.

Ex. "THEY SAY that Bananas are better than oranges because they contain more potassium, BUT I DISAGREE. Oranges are better than bananas...

Four Step Refutation

Ex. Bananas are better than oranges because they contain more potassium. 

Step 3: "Because..." This is the reasoning for your position.

Ex. They say bananas are better than oranges because they contain more potassium, but I disagree. Oranges are better than bananas BECAUSE they contain more vitamin C.

Four Step Refutation:

Step 4: "Therefore..." This is the conclusion of your argument where you compare your refutation to their argument to show why yours is better.

Ex. THEY SAY bananas are better than oranges because they contain more potassium, BUT I DISAGREE. Oranges are better than bananas BECAUSE they contain more vitamin C. THEREFORE, you should prefer oranges because while many foods in an ordinary diet contain potassium, few contain an appreciable amount of vitamin C. It is more important to eat oranges whenever possible than it is to eat bananas.

“Therefore. . .”why your argument is better

• It’s better reasoned (no errors is logic or reasoning)• It’s better evidenced (more/better evidence, more

qualified or recent sources)• It’s empirical (empirically proven—proved by past

examples, rather than speculations)• It takes theirs into account (uses opponent’s

argument—perhaps by strategic agreement—to take yours a step further)

• It has greater expressed significance (it’s more important to a specific individual or to a larger number of individuals)

• It’s consistent with experience (over time, in many places, in several different circumstances—”something that we can all relate to”)