WRITING A TOULMIN ARGUMENT
ENGL 1213: ENGLISH COMPOSITION II
WHAT IS A TOULMIN ARGUMENT?
Devised by British thinker Stephen Toulmin, the Toulmin mannequin of argument offers a framework for
making and analyzing arguments. This framework consists of six components, every of which you employ every single day
if you make or encounter arguments. These six components are:
1. Declare
2. Qualifiers
three. Causes/Proof
four. Warrants
5. Backing
6. Rebuttal/Response
TOULMIN ARGUMENT: THE CLAIM
Very similar to classical argument, a Toulmin argument is centered upon a declare. The declare is the place that you just
tackle the subject of your argument. Claims — in contrast to statements of truth – are assertions, that means that they
require Help. Claims fall into three classes:
1. Claims of truth – reply the Question Assignment, “What’s or is just not true?”
2. Claims of worth – reply the Question Assignment, “What’s a topic’s value?”
three. Claims of coverage – reply the Question Assignment, “What needs to be finished?”
Needless to say a declare is inherently debatable; that’s, it’s a supply of disagreement. Nevertheless, good claims
are additionally defendable. They don’t seem to be outlandish or offensive.
When devising your declare, ask your self, “What am I making an attempt to get my viewers to just accept, consider, or do?”
TOULMIN ARGUMENT: QUALIFIERS
A qualifier is any limitation you place upon your argument in order that it’s extra correct and life like. In different
phrases, if you qualify your declare, you might be reining it in in order that it doesn’t go too far.
For instance, let’s say you might be writing concerning the function of violent video video games in aggressive habits. At first, you
make the next declare: Violent video video games result in aggressive habits.
Nevertheless, after conducting some analysis, you notice that research on this matter arrive at very completely different
conclusions. After revisiting your declare, you revise it to the next: In some circumstances, violent video video games are a
think about aggressive habits.
Whereas nonetheless a declare of truth, the revised declare is extra life like. Violent video video games are a think about aggressive
habits in some circumstances. Such qualifiers present your viewers that you’re truthful and that you just keep away from sweeping
generalizations.
TOULMIN ARGUMENT: REASONS/EVIDENCE
Causes and/or proof make up the Help to your declare. To borrow the language of the classical argument, your causes
can be similar to your subclaims: they’re why you make the declare. The proof, in flip, helps the explanations.
That is the place your analysis comes into play. For instance:
• Declare: Schools shouldn’t require textbooks for basic training programs.
• Cause #1: Textbook prices are far an excessive amount of for a school scholar to afford.
• Proof: U.S. New & World Report notes that “the typical full-time, on-campus undergraduate at a four-year
college is estimated to have spent $1240 on books and provides in the course of the 2019-2020 tutorial 12 months.”
• Cause #2: Textbook prices proceed to rise at an unsustainable fee.
• Proof: CBS Information reviews that “the typical value of faculty textbooks has risen 4 occasions quicker than the speed
of inflation over the previous 10 years.”
• Cause #three: College students who can not afford textbooks undergo academically.
• Proof: A survey carried out by U.S. PIRG discovered that “94% of scholars who didn’t have the required textbook
for a category felt that it negatively affected their tutorial progress.”
TOULMIN ARGUMENT: WARRANTS
Any time you make an argument, you might be
making assumptions about your viewers: their
beliefs, their values, their views. Such
assumptions regularly join the explanations of
your argument to the declare.
For instance, should you argue that plastic straws
needs to be banned in eating places as a result of they
are dangerous for the surroundings, you might be assuming
that your viewers cares concerning the
surroundings. In Toulmin argument, such
assumptions are referred to as warrants.
Visualized, the connection between these
elements would seem like:
Cause:
Plastic straws
harm the
surroundings
Warrant:
The
surroundings
is value
defending.
Declare:
Plastic straws
needs to be
banned in
eating places.
The warrant may be considered the “since” a part of the
argument. For instance, because the surroundings is value
defending, plastic straws needs to be banned in eating places.
TOULMIN ARGUMENT: BACKING
Within the Toulmin mannequin of argument, it’s not sufficient to
merely notice the assumptions you make inside an
argument. Simply as the explanations require proof, so
too do the warrants require Help. This Help is
referred to as backing. Let’s use the earlier instance of a
warrant:
Cause:
Plastic straws
harm the
surroundings
Warrant:
The
surroundings
is value
defending.
Declare:
Plastic straws
needs to be
banned in
eating places.
When you had been to take a more in-depth take a look at the warrant,
you’d see that underlying it’s extra
proof. This proof known as backing.
Warrant:
The
surroundings
is value
defending.
The surroundings is value defending as a result of it’s
important to our personal survival.
If the surroundings suffers, so too does our
high quality of life.
TOULMIN ARGUMENT: REBUTTAL/RESPONSES
Simply as in a classical argument, a Toulmin argument anticipates that there might be objections to the declare and argument being
put forth. In classical argument, such objections are acknowledged and addressed within the refutation. In Toulmin argument,
these objections are referred to as circumstances of rebuttal. For our functions, we’ll consult with this a part of the argument because the rebuttal
and responses.
For instance, should you had been arguing that well being care needs to be paid for via tax funds, you would count on a number of frequent
objections:
• Common well being care would put an unfair tax burden on Americans
• The standard of well being care would undergo
• Attributable to restricted income, well being care must be rationed
After acknowledging these rebuttals, you would need to reply in a logical and truthful method. Your response may seem like:
• Common well being care would elevate taxes, sure – however People would by no means have to fret about going bankrupt as a result of sickness
• Different nations with common well being care have wonderful well being care techniques
• Underneath our present system, insurance coverage corporations already ration well being care
TOULMIN MODEL ARGUMENT ANALYSIS
When you organized the weather of an argument utilizing the Toulmin mannequin, it’d seem like this:
Declare: Faculty tuition needs to be free.
Qualifier: For these with a family earnings of lower than 100ok per 12 months, faculty tuition needs to be free.
Causes: 1. Pupil debt is crippling, usually taking many years to repay.
• Proof
2. Pupil debt forces graduates to postpone getting married, shopping for a home, and having kids. That is dangerous for
communities and society.
• Proof
three. Pupil debt hurts the financial system by limiting the spending energy of faculty graduates
• Proof
Warrants: 1. A faculty training is supposed to extend alternatives, not restrict them
2. Having extra faculty graduates is sweet for the financial system.
Backing: Proof proving that, historically, a school training has been the technique of upward mobility in American society.
Rebuttal: Proof proving that:
1. Making faculty tuition free will elevate taxes for everybody.
2. Making faculty tuition free is unfair to those that paid their means via faculty.
Responses: 1. The common American will save far extra money in tuition prices than they are going to pay in increased taxes
2. Free faculty tuition will profit everybody by strengthening the financial system
ARGUMENT ESSAY OUTLINE BASED ON TOULMIN MODEL
After analyzing your argument utilizing the Toulmin mannequin, you set up the elements to observe the essay construction that fits your difficulty and
viewers. Right here is an overview following the Classical Argument construction:
Declare with Qualifier: Faculty tuition needs to be free for these with a family earnings of lower than 100ok per 12 months
Causes: 1. Pupil debt is crippling, usually taking many years to repay.
• Proof
• Proof
• Warrant: Lengthy-term debt negatively impacts monetary safety.
• Backing: proof that proves the warrant
2. Pupil debt forces graduates to postpone getting married, shopping for a home, and having kids. That is dangerous for communities and society.
• Proof
• Proof
• Warrant College students pursue a school training to extend way of life alternatives, not restrict them.
• Backing: proof that proves the warrant.
three. Pupil debt hurts the financial system by limiting the spending energy of faculty graduates.
• Proof
• Proof
• Warrant: A sturdy financial system is supported by individuals having disposable earnings.
• Backing: proof that proves the warrant
Rebuttal: 1. Making faculty tuition free will elevate taxes for everybody.
Response: The common American will save far extra money in tuition prices than they are going to pay in increased taxes
2. Making faculty tuition free is unfair to those that paid their means via faculty.
Response: Free faculty tuition will profit everybody by strengthening the financial system
Proves the sub declare
Proves the sub declare
Proves the sub declare
——–
WRITING A TOULMIN ARGUMENT ENGL 1213: ENGLISH COMPOSITION II
WHAT IS A TOULMIN ARGUMENT?
Devised by British thinker Stephen Toulmin, the Toulmin mannequin of argument offers a framework for
making and analyzing arguments. This framework consists of six components, every of which you employ every single day
if you make or encounter arguments. These six components are:
1. Declare
2. Qualifiers
three. Causes/Proof
four. Warrants
5. Backing
6. Rebuttal/Response
TOULMIN ARGUMENT: THE CLAIM
Very similar to classical argument, a Toulmin argument is centered upon a declare. The declare is the place that you just
tackle the subject of your argument. Claims — in contrast to statements of truth – are assertions, that means that they
require Help. Claims fall into three classes:
1. Claims of truth – reply the Question Assignment, “What’s or
