Is this the right room for an argument?

Possibly, but of course it all depends on whether you came armed in the battle of wits, and have facts from reputable sources to support your statements. It also depends on whether you know what an argument is… or not. Therefore, I’ve created this little cheat sheet for potential argument-mongers to peruse at their leisure.

To make a “blanket statement” is to make a generalization about something, in effect, throwing a blanket over the issue and refusing to accept that there are exceptions, or even details of fact that make the statement untrue. A “blanket statement” is used as an eliminating factor to “win” an argument when you wish to end all debate on a topic. “Argument” is used here in the sense of legal or debate argument, not in the sense of shouting/angry argument.

Lots of people shower their writing with assertions, without ever producing anything you might reasonably call an argument. There are a number of common pitfalls to avoid when constructing an argument; they’re known as fallacies. Many kinds of mistaken beliefs are fallacies, but a fallacy is also a technical flaw which makes an argument unsound or invalid. Arguments which contain fallacies are described as fallacious. They often appear valid and convincing; sometimes only close inspection reveals the logical flaw.

“Because I think so” is not a good argument.

“Because I’ve seen/heard such and such” is not a good argument.

“Because I say so” is not a good argument.

“Because it makes people jump off buildings, become violent, (insert negative here)” is not a good argument, because it’s easy to counter that by inserting something positive into the same sentence, and neither one is true for all people at all times, and may not even be true at all.

“Because I’ve experienced this” is anecdotal evidence, but we must be prepared to accept that others may have different or completely contrary experiences. It’s quite valid to use personal experience to illustrate a point; but such anecdotes don’t actually prove anything to anyone.

“Because it was on TV” is not a good argument because TV is a medium of entertainment and often contains poorly researched stories, fiction, and fantasy. Likewise, much of popular television today reflects the agenda of the corporations behind the media companies (there are only about 6-8 media conglomerates in the U.S.).

Cited scientific research, government studies published by knowledgeable “experts,” published “white papers,” academic journals of recognized and accredited academic institutions, and other high quality primary sources often contain good source material for arguments. Edited and spliced together video or audio, however, cannot be relied upon without an official textual transcript accompanying such media.

My response to baseless argument is always to show people the ridiculousness of their statements… you couldn’t exactly call them arguments since without a valid basis, there is no argument. If you base your “argument” on fallacies or faulty premises, or hearsay (usually without citing a source), you can’t be expected to be taken seriously. And really, you (generic you) should expect to be mocked, if only for the entertainment and amusement value it provides me and the other readers here.

—
Originally posted 10/19/2004
Updated 02/03/2006