Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoning, 2nd Edition

By: David Zarefsky, The Great Courses

Narrated by: David Zarefsky

What is effective reasoning? And how can it be done persuasively? These questions have been asked for thousands of years, yet some of the best thinking on reasoning and argumentation is recent and represents a break from the past.

These 24 engaging lectures teach you how to reason, how to persuade others that what you think is right, and how to judge and answer the arguments of others - and how they will judge yours. Professor Zarefsky makes argumentation accessible and familiar by breaking it into five easy-to-understand components: The tools of formal logic, while essential and even definitive for mathematics and programming computers, are inadequate to decide most controversial issues.

This course shows more useful approaches. Arguments can be divided into three parts: a claim, evidence, and an inference linking the evidence to the claim. All arguments fall into a handful of distinctive categories, and the same issues are at stake each time one of these distinctive patterns occurs. Three kinds of evidence can be advanced to prove an argument that something is true: objective data, social consensus, and personal credibility. There are six kinds of inference that link evidence to a claim: example, cause, sign, analogy, narrative, and form. How to use and challenge each is explained.

Along the way, you'll look at numerous actual controversies with a perspective that allows you to see the structure of all disputes. In this way, argument becomes an exchange, not just a flurry of words.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2005 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2005 The Great Courses

If you are on the fence, Get it!

If you could sum up Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoning, 2nd Edition in three words, what would they be?

Clear, concise, informative

Which scene was your favorite?

Understanding logical fallacies.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no.

Any additional comments?

This is an excellent course to take. Interesting right the way through and very dense on content. Argumentation is a pastime of mine, and although I have read much about it, I have never taken any kind of structured course on the subject. These lectures opened up an understanding of the processes, the nomenclature and the method to me on a larger scale than I knew. Very helpful, Already I am applying this new understanding to my every day life, and that's not just in winning arguments with my spouse ;)

Argument is an Art.

Great examination and explanations to argue with skill and clarity. I recommend to all who wish to use or discern argument and discourse

Outstanding!!

This is truly a "great" course. It is well done, thoughtful, researched, and informative. Zarefsky is great and easy to listen to. I've done this course twice and will likely return to it again at some point.

decent

you can sum it up by know your audience's values and culture before presenting facts in a certain perspective

This truly will help those without a voice..

[I]n many ways nonsense is a more effective organizing tool than the truth. Anyone can believe in the truth. To believe in nonsense is an unforgeable demonstration of loyalty. It serves as a political uniform. And if you have a uniform, you have an army.

Mencius Moldbug

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