Hi. My name is Katie, and today we'll discuss the classical argument model. In today's lesson, we'll begin by defining the classical argument model. And then, we'll deconstruct that definition and analyze different components of this model. Finally, we'll look at a sample outline for a classical model and talk about what a good classical argument looks like.
Let's begin with the big picture. There are several different modes for constructing arguments. While this lesson teaches the classical model, it's important to note that there's no correct or right model, and you need to consider your options for argumentation at various stages of the writing process in order to select the right approach.
This means that you need to start at the beginning. Even as you're brainstorming for your essay, consider how you want to approach arguing for your thesis. As you're conducting prewriting tasks, like outlining and using a graphic organizer, I advise that you keep the different components of argumentation in mind. As you're drafting your essay, you want to make sure that each introductory sentence orients the reader as to where this paragraph fits in with your overall argument. And then, as you make your revisions, try to cut out any material that strays from your intended argumentative method.
The classical argumentation model is one of the oldest systems of argumentation. And while it is useful to employ this argument in many situations, I want to make sure to emphasize that it's OK to borrow from this argumentation model or incorporate several other different models in order to build the best argument for your thesis.
The classical argumentation model can be defined as "a methodology for structuring arguments." It was designed by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. And its primary use is to persuade the audience to take action or share an author's perspective. The fact that Aristotle is a Greek should set off a light bulb in your head for the way that it relates to rhetorical appeals. Ethos, logos, and pathos are all Greek terms, which are still used today to define arguments for credibility, arguments for logic, and arguments which appeal to emotion.
The fact that there are five components to this model hints at why this could be a good choice for an argument if you're, for example, creating an argument in a situation where you're being timed, because it's simple and it's compatible with the five-paragraph essay model. It begins with the introduction. You want to make sure that when you plan your argument, you draw your reader in with engaging or interesting information. You also need to include necessary background information so that your readers can understand the context for your thesis. Why are you making this claim? Why are you even thinking about this topic?
The next component consists of your claims. These are going to be the topic sentences for your supporting paragraphs, and each claim should have supporting evidence that backs it up. This usually makes up the bulk of your essay.
The classical argument model also traditionally addresses counterarguments. Even though the tendency is to try to avoid counterarguments which might refute your thesis, your argument is strengthened by addressing these viewpoints, whether they already exist or whether you foresee them, because it establishes your own credibility as an author who is well versed in the topic that you're discussing.
Finally, a classical argument needs a strong conclusion. And in particular, this conclusion traditionally includes a call to action on the part of the reader or listener. Let me show you how this works using an organizer that I created for a hypothetical argument.
Before we get into the information that I've used to give you examples of how this argument works, I want you to note how brief this outline actually is. One of the reasons that you might choose a classical model is that it's really approachable because it's so simple. Remember that the printing press was invented long after Aristotle's death, so a classical argument was traditionally meant to be delivered orally.
Because the primary goal of this model is persuasion, you want to make sure that you get to your point right away and don't bog your audience down with an overwhelming amount of details. On the other hand, the simplicity of this model could make you want to incorporate aspects of other argumentative models, because if your topic is particularly complex or detailed, there's not a lot of space in here to deal with those issues.
This is an outline for a letter that I imagined as if I'm a person who's trying to convince our company's leaders that they should sponsor a picnic for workers and their families. Because this is a letter, I'm going to use very simple rhetoric and try to get right to the point. Note I have my thesis statement in the introduction, and it's very plain. It says, "Our company should sponsor a company picnic for workers and their families."
And then also in the introductory paragraph, I want to include background information. Note how these two pieces of the classical model fit into the first component of a five-paragraph essay. I sort of explain to my readers the impetus for why I want to write this letter. You can imagine maybe I'm in the human resources department because I know that our company has received complaints regarding low employee morale, and that research conducted by our department demonstrates that many workers deal with complaints from their families regarding long hours spent at the office and high levels of stress. In other words, I'm letting my audience know that the reason I created this thesis statement in the first place is that I'm trying to solve a problem.
You see here that I have claim 1, claim 2, and claim 3. I've labeled them as such so that you can see how they work as components of the classical argument model, but note how they also neatly fit into a five-paragraph model instead. We have the introduction, paragraph one; claim 1, 2, and 3, so those are my body paragraphs; and then the fifth paragraph, my conclusion.
I've constructed these claims in an effort to illustrate how you can employ pathos, logos, and ethos. So let me walk you through the way I would do this. Claim 1, pathos, an appeal to emotion. I like to put emotional appeals first in my essay because they draw the reader in with interesting and engaging information.
This is sort of a spillover from what the background information accomplishes in my introduction because first I hook my readers with these statistics about what the problem is, and then I hit them with an emotional appeal, saying, "A company picnic will improve employee morale by demonstrating to workers that they and their families are valued." And then you can see that I've also outlined some supporting evidence that I'll include in this paragraph, like we could hand out awards, or we could have games to engage children.
My second claim is a rhetorical appeal to logic. I say that "A company picnic will help reduce employees' stress levels." And then I give a few examples on how this logically plays out.
Finally, I combine an appeal to credibility with a counterargument. I say, "A company picnic is a better solution than a team-building trip or seminar." Now, note the way that I word this. I don't make a statement like, "Some would argue that a team-building trip or seminar is better." Instead, I foresee that this claim could come, and before that claim is made, I argue for the superiority of my thesis.
And then I establish my own credibility as an author by demonstrating to my readers that I've researched this topic. I know what professionals advise and I know what statistics show, but this is why these statistics don't apply to this particular situation. Now the audience can trust that I have expertise in this area. They can agree with my claims because they know that they're based on a well-researched argument. If I wanted to establish my credibility even further, I could add to this list some statistics that demonstrate that company picnics reduce stress and improve family support.
Finally, we've reached the conclusion. The conclusion should not only return to your thesis statement from the introduction, but it should really put things in the big picture for your readers and give them a sense of urgency for your call to action. In this case, I've put it in the big picture of the release of the company's hypothetical new product. And I say that the timing wouldn't interfere with any productivity, and employees would feel especially rewarded for their efforts for making the product launch happen. This one sentence accomplishes not only placing my argument in the larger context of the company's goals, but also gives a very specific time for when I want my readers to perform the actions that I'm trying to convince them of.
You can imagine that this argument is something that you could write in maybe a page or two for a letter, or if you were speaking, like Aristotle would, that your audience wouldn't become bored with a lengthy argument or become lost in long exposition.
In today's lesson, we discussed the classical argument model. We began by defining the classical model of argumentation and taking a look at its intended purpose. Then, we deconstructed this model into five different categories-- introduction, background, claims, counterarguments, and conclusion. Finally, we took a look at a sample outline and talked about how these five components worked to construct an argument and to fit into a traditional five-paragraph essay format.
I hope that you found this approach helpful. Thank you very much for joining me today.
