toulmin: reservation vs rebuttal

Hey guys I know I'm posting this a little late but I was finishing studying and I was kind of getting confused between the reservation and rebuttal... if anyone can clarify them that would be awesome.. thanks!

-Amelia

The quiz tommorow is only on the Toulmin Sentence right? Not on the Mythic Hero Notes?

-Dean

9/22/09 HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK QUESTIONS

1. claim: faux news programs (ex. the daily show) are a great addition to television 2. claim: the US should (get out/stay in) Iraq. sorry its so late. i just got back from work. Forest S.

Yo did Mr. Lazarow post our homework for tonight?

Study Guide Question

Hey guys i was going over the study guide questions and was unsure of one

it was from the "celebration at heorot" section number 7

"why does the poet mention Heremod during the story of Sigemund?"

if anyone knows the answer or has any ideas please comment!

-Amelia

9/21/09 Class Notes

Here's Why

• It demonstrates that the author is aware of opposing views and is not trying to sweep them under the table. The writers argument is more likely to seem balanced or fair to reader and thus be more persuasive.
• It shows that the witter is thinking carefully about the responses of readers, anticipating objections that many readers may have.
• Introducing the reader to opposition arguments, and then dealing with possible objections can thus work to inoculate the reader against counterarguments
• When a writer contrasts their position with the opposing arguments or alternative hypotheses the writer clarifying for their readers as well the position for which they are arguing.

Dealing with the Devil

Tactic #1: Strategic Concession

• acknowledge some of the opposition arguments merits but reject it overall.
• In some cases this may mean accepting or incorporating some components of an authors argument, while rejecting other parts of it.

Tactic#2: Refutation

• Show important weakness and short comings in an opponents position that demonstrate their argument must be rejected in it entirety.

Tactic # 3: Demonstration of Irrelevance

• Opposing views, while perhaps valid in certain respects do not in fact meet the criteria of relevance that define the issue.

Oh FYI

• Its worth mentioning that any rebuttal is an argument in itself and this may include its own claim, grounds, warrant, backing, qualifier and rebuttal.

Putting It Together

• "The Toulmin Sentence"
• (Important) Because(grounds), therefore, or so (qualifier) (claim), since (warrant) because, or an account of (backing unless (reservation)

Example

Because of "the new cell phone law", "in most cases" "no one should call while driving "

(grounds) (qualifier) (claim)

since "it is a good to obey the law"

(warrant)

because "if the law is broken it means a heavy fine" unless "there is an emergency."

(backing) (reservation)

Nabeel A

Tonight's HW (9/21/09)

Write a Toulmin sentence based upon the following information:

Claim -People should wear seatbelts.
Support - There is a high rate of serious injury in accidents when seatbelts are not worn.
Warrant - Serious injury should be avoided.
Backing - Serious injury is costly, painful, and dangerous.
Qualifier - Typically
Reservation - Seatbelts should not be worn in cases where they may be dangerous, like on small children.
Rebuttal – There is a high rate of serious injury when seatbelts are worn.

I'm stumped on a question from the study guide. Maybe you guys know the answer.

In the Prologue

7. I know Hrothgar names the hall Heorot, but what does Heorot mean? second part of the question

Richard N

Beowulf study guide questions

There are a few questions I had towards the actual reading/study guide.

Historical Background/Poetic Structure

10. What quality does a hero possess that can influence Fate?

16. Name three characteristics of the epic poem form.

Prologue

2. Describe how Shield arrived among the people he would eventually lead.

The Fight With Grendel

6. What does possession of the "trophy" symbolize for the Danes?

Celebration at Heorot

13. What 2 reminders does the poet give, even as the hall is being prepared for the celebration? Why?

26. Why does the king's poet tell this particular story at the celebration?

32. What does the poet do as the section draws to a close? Why?

Another Attack

2. Why does the text repeat both the monsters' ancestry and Beowulf's defeat of Grendel?

Forest S

9/17/09 Class Notes

The  Warrant:

-The warrant is the inferential leap that creates a mental connection between the claim and the grounds, thus establishing the claim's legitimacy.

*Chains of reasoning

*Unstated assumptions

*Presuppositions

*General principles

*Widely held values

*Commonly accepted beliefs

-It answers he question "Where is the author coming from?"

-The warrant links the support to the claim by enabling the audience to accept or justify particular evidence as proof of a particular claim.

-Typically, the warrant is IMPLICIT- it operates at a higher level of generality that claim or grounds.

-*The audience supplies the warrant!

-Warrants establish links between the author and the audience; shared warrants result in successful establishing common ground.

-*There are 6 main argumentative strategies ti establish the relationship between evidence and claim- GASCAP.

Generalization

Analogy

Sign

Causality

Authority

Principle

-Typically these strategies are interconnected and work together.

Generalization:

- A common form of reasoning- what is true of well chosen sample is likely to hold for a larger group or population, or that certain things consistent with the sample can be inferred.

Analogy:

- Extrapolating from one situation or event based on the nature and outcome of a similar situation or event.

- Found in law as 'case-based' and precedent-based reasoning.

-Are there sufficient, typical,accurate,relevant similarities between two contexts.

Example:

-"Life is like a box of chocolates.."

**BEWARE OF THE FALSE ANALOGY!

-"I can do this well, therefore i can also do that (unrelated) thing well!"

Argument Via Sign:

-The notion that types of evidence are symptomatic of some wider principle or outcome.

Examples:

-"Where there is smoke, there is a fire."

-"Students with high SAT scores will do good in college."

Causal Argument:

-The most complex of the different forms of warrant- the given occurrence or event "x" is the result of, or is affected by, factor "y".

** Don't mix up causation with correlation. (Just because two events have a relationship does not necessarily dictate that the relationship is causal)

Argument from authority (Ethos):

-Does person/text "x" constitute an authoritative source on the issue?

-What political, ideological or economic interests does the authority have?

Sarah Z.

Small Details

I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but many things in Beowulf have almost no details and are just stated. When Beowulf and his men travel across the the sea to go greet the kind and fight Grendel, the poem only says that they cross the sea, meet a guard, and go on their way. No details are given about the journey, or about any hardships faced. I wouldn't expect many hardships, but maybe some details about the journey or something. Also, when the guard meets Beowulf and says he knows he is a great man and lets him pass, there are almost no details. It seems to me that the poem has been rushed a bit in order ot get to the main part of the poem. Also, it could be that when this poem was originally spoken, people knew about the hardships of crossing the sea, and the customs of traveling into other nations. Does anyone else have any ideas about this? I would like to know if I am missing something here.


~ Joe I.

Toulmin Model of Arguement

Path to Writing Better Essays

Why Matter?

• Been working off a rhetorical model especially dealing with thesis sentence
• Well thought out thesis is essential to success of an essay. Flawed thesis = flawed essay
• Must understand how the mechanics of an essay work the way they do
• Don't know what makes a good thesis
• Toulmin Model thesis will be more complicated and elaborated
• Will learn to write better essays and in turn give us knowledge on how to read others
• Response in reality of arguements
• Denies absolute, in favor of qualifers

#1)

• The idea that all verbal communication is persuasive to some degree
• Everything in speech i in the form of persuasion
• Argumentation is in everything

Stephen Toulmin (1922- ??)

• British Born
• Currently Professor at USC
• Frustrated with inhability of traditonal logic to explain the processes of real argument
• Developed own model of logic

6 Points of oulmin Model

• Claim
• Grounds (data)
• Warrants
• Backing
• Qualifiers
• Rebuttals

Smaller Numbers

• First Triad: Claim, Grounds, Warrant

The Claim

• Statement is going to be argued by writer to audience
• It is the conclusion of argument; starts the essay even though the writer starts to formulate the argument
• Everything in argument relates back to claim
• Answers question, "What is author trying to prove?"

What is the bottom line?

Examples:

1. You should use a hearing aid
2. It is our turn to drive
3. It looks like it's going to rain

3 Kinds of Claims:

1. Claim of FACT

• Focus on empirically verifiable phenomenia (PAST)

2. Claim of Judgement/Value

• Involves opinions, attitudes, subjective view (PRESENT)

3. Claim of Policy

• Advocates course of action to undertake (FUTURE)

No type of claim is better than another (but used differently)

Most times, perspectives are not immediately accepted,

Others will challenge claim. Forcing Proof (Grounds/Data)

The Grounds

• Facts gathered to bolster claim
• Answers questions, "How come?" What info does author use to convince

Common Types of Support

• Facts: Vivid, real, verifiable information
• Opinion: Interpretations/Reasonings
• Examples: For purpose of clarification and illustration of facts and opinions

Argumentative support is explicitly stated, not inferred

Facts are powerful weapons. Best against those who have a lack of facts

• Specific Events
• Statistics
• Experimental Results
• Physical Evidence

Example:

Claim: Look like it's about to rain

Grounds: Barometer is falling

• Opinions = negative connotations in relationship to argument
• Different than facts but value is equal
• Whether to use I or not in an essay
• Depends on argumentative situation
• Opinion is based upon facts
• Opinions result from interpretation/misinterpretation of facts
• Expression of interpretation
• Opinion has place in grounds
• Challenge is to select which opinion are valid

Credibility

• Who should we listen to?

Authorities

Experts

Celebrities

Indorsers

Different arguments, different source

Case Examples: Clarify points

Hypothetical Examples: Dictates probability rather than actual actions

Examples of Examples

"This one time, at band camp, I was..."

~Personal experiences must be relavant to audience

"Lets say you were at band camp..."

~A hypothetical, only useful if audience can relate

"During band camp last year..."

~Less personal, more factual"

"True Fact"

• Calling data fact doesn't make it true
• Based on evidence/perception
• All facts can be disputed
• Not necessary to have 100% true facts
• Needs strong grounds or else be challenged
• Grounds may be challenged
• Grounds become claims
• Claims needs strong grounds

Hard factual data works very well to persuade audience

Emotional debaters will reject facts

How to attack depends on type of audience

Acceptance = Victory, audience not arguing back

Dismissal = Loss, audience is better, no way to win

Challenge = Continuation, arguement

The Warrant

Mental connection between claim and grounds

• chains of reasoning
• unstated assumptions
• presuppositions
• general principles

(didn't get any father today)

~Richard N

RJ, I agree with you completley. I've only read through 4 chapters and to me it seems like Beowulf has complete control over others around him, this seems to stem from what his father was and what he accomplished.

"I meant to perform to the uttermost what your people wanted or perish in the attempt in the fiend's clutches. And I shall fulfill that purpose, prove myself with a proud deed or meet my death here in the mead-hall."

It looks as if Beowulf has a lot to prove to himself and others around him.

-Dean Rice-

Beowulf's army - and the narrow focus of the story

"Enlisting men, the best he could find; with fourteen others the warrior boarded the boat as captain."

Not much description or detail is ever given to these men, (at least as far as I've read) and I'm unsure as to why he had such ease in persuading them to join him.

Either:

1. He was famous and if he asked anything of anyone they really couldn't refuse.

2. They hadn't the wealth Beowulf did, and they would be rewarded for helping him.

Of course there are other possibilities.


Secondly, the author really pays no attention to these men and their characteristics (not even their ages). In other Mythic Hero Archetypes that come to mind, like those in the powerpoint, at least give basic information on the hero's companions. They usually even hold some importance and affect the plot. In Beowulf it seems that his companions are just there to represent the military force of the Geats.

So really, why are these characters so insignificant? Does the author not want to waste lines showing each ones personality and explaining each one's past? Or was the fact that it was originally spoken mean that most of the finer details were left out when it was written?

Why does the author focus the story so heavily on the main character?

~ Rj Geraci

September 11, 2009: Notes

Mythic Hero point #6: Guild (Con't)

• Usually revered but unlikely person.
• Offers important advice/ tool to the hero (usually ambiguous).
• Information is incomplete because the hero must learn for himself or herself.
• The guild has limited power, so he or she cannot fulfill the quest.
• Often has connection with the opposite force.

Mythic Hero point #7:Ultimate Conflict- Decent into Darkness

• Can be literal or figurative darkness, preys upon the fear(s) of the hero.
• This is the hero’s lowest point in which it is time for the hero to face the greatest conflict of their journey.
• During the decent into darkness the hero has to face it alone, while is allies have fallen back.
• The victory symbolizes the returning to light, cleansing, and renewal.

Mythic Hero point #8: Difference in Hero After the Decent

• Hero possesses new maturity and wisdom that was not the original objective of the quest.
• Other character don’t fully understand what was really obtained

Mythic Hero point #9: Hero Suffers a Physical Wound

• The hero is wounded or even killed as a part of achieving the goal.
• The hero does not view their suffering as important when compared with their value of their new knowledge.

Mythic Hero point #10: Hero’s Knowledge is brought back to the community

• Hero returns home with a newfound wisdom and teaches the people and the generation afterwards.
• OR- Hero dies while achieving his quest and companion return home to carry on the legacy.

T. Tran

PS: sorry this was late for some reason I didn't think it was my turn for notes.

9/10/09 class notes

Class notes continued on Mythical Heroes.

More examples:

• Iron Man- Tony Stark, a genius playboy millionaire who makes weapons for the United States Military. After being wounded by his own weapons used against him by terrorists, he creates an armored weapon-packed flying suit in which he battles evil.
• Lone Ranger- one of a group of Texas Rangers who are ambushed by bandits and are left for dead. He is the only one to survive and to protect himself from the men who tried to kill him, he dons a black mask to conceal his identity.
• Tormented Vampires: (Blade)- father was a vampire and mother was a mortal. People do not accept him because he is a vampire and the vampires do not accept him because he can walk in the sunlight. He is called the "Day Walker" (Angel)- is a terrible blood thirsty vampire who eats a whole village of people and is cursed by the vengeful gypsy who curses him to forever have a soul. He then begins to regret all the "murders" he has committed in his "life" and because of this he does not belong to the vampire group nor the humans because he is still a vampire. If he feels even a single moment of true happiness, he will lose his soul and go back to his original killing being.
• Luke Skywalker- Luke is an orphan who works on his aunt and uncle's moisture farm on the planet Tatooine, a world on the outer rim of the Galaxy and he is torn by rebellion.
• Huckleberry Finn- Huck was an orphan from the low class of Southern society who was abandoned by is father.

The "Threshold Guardian"

• The hero has no outside ties which provides him/her the freedom to act
• Hero within the community must break the ties before he/she can act

Mythic Hero point #2

• Not invincible, but not a fool
• always have a certain weakness
• may only be average in intellect (thus will make mistakes)
• usually possesses great common sense

Weaknesses:

• Achillies' heel
• Pinocchio and lying
• Indiana Jones and snakes
• Superman and Kryptonite
• Batman's scarred psyche

"Common Sense"

Odysseus- was quick witted and was able to make quick decisions. He often made rash decisions which usually did not bode well for him and those with him.

Mythic Hero point #3

• Path is not always clear or direct- is a goal
• hero is seeking something that cannot be found nearby
• may know the destination, don't know how to get there
• hero may know route, not what is involved with the journey (e.g. yellow brick road)

Mythic Hero point #4

• journey filled with danger, loneliness, and temptation
• in an "alien country"- things that they have never faced/encountered
• burden of quest falls on one person's shoulders (e.g. Luke out to defeat the Empire)
• frequently temped to abandon the quest in order to relieve the suffering that results from the journey

Mythic Hero point #5

• often accompanies by other companions
• people are along to offset the loneliness of the journey. not to relieve the pressure or take away the burden
• also heighten the sense of isolation because they don't share the hero's sense of mission, only the sense of duty to the hero
• all the hero's companions will fall away before the final battle.

Mythic Hero point #6

• Guide
• hero passes the initiation which then allows the guide to reveal themselves.

(we didn't finish this section)

Caitlyn A

9/9/09 Notes

The Mythic Heroic Archetype: Quest For Enlightenment

The Western Literary Tradition

Archetype:

• Formed by the repeated experiences in the lives of our ancestors.
• Inherited in the "collective unconscious" of the human race.
• Often exposed in myth, religion, dreams and fantasies, as well as in literature.
• Archetype is a character type, plot pattern, or descriptions.
• Recurs frequently in literature and folklore.
• Thought to evoke profound emotional responses in the read because it resonates with an image already in the mind.
• [Karl Jung] believed certain subconscious psychological urges and instincts manifest themselves in fantasies and reveal their presence through symbolic motifs.
• These "forms or images... occur practically all over the world as constituents of myths."
• As the forms rise out of the unconscious mind in dreams or myths, archetypes might appear as characters, princesses, knights, dragons, wizards, and fools.
• Or they may show up as archetypal images, a sequence of events, a certain kind of place or a talismanic object. (talisman is a special object with powers)
• In the stories that speak to us most deeply, these elements remain remarkably constant. The activities, communications, and adventures in which the mythic hero participates, the places the hero visits, from the enchanted castle to the magic mountain or dark cavern. All these appear over and over in myths from all around the world.

Archetype Examples:

• Journey/Quest
• Rite of Passage
• Loss of/search for Eden
• Growth through conflict
• Nature/Life Cycle
• Religion (search for God or personal code)
• Reconciliation of Opposites

-love/hate

-heaven/hell

-alienation/redemption

-male/female

• As we watch this conflict unfold, we find the germs of meaning that can help us make sense of our own lives.

The Mythic Hero:

• Hero has obscure/mysterious background.
• The hero is either someone from outside the community.
• Or from within a community but possessing a hidden difference.
• Example: Superman

-from planet krypton

-protects people of metropolis as "superman"

-earths yellow sun endows him with super powers

-lives as "Clark Kent" the mild mannered reporter

• Example: Batman

-billion playboy heir of the Wayne family fortune

-psychologically damaged as a result of witnessing the murder of his parents

-he creates an alter ego "Batman"

Forest S

Welcome to the English IV Pd. 2 blog for 2009-2010!

Welcome, English scholars of MHS Class of 2010! It's a great pleasure to welcome you to your home on the web--your class blogsite.Ever since we first began using online bulletin boards as a way to converse about literature and writing (all the way back in the early '90's, and please don't feel the need to comment about how long ago that was, or how old you were then), it was always my intent to do the same in my classroom. I have found this format to work superbly to aid you in the work we will do. I have put this space together for the benefit of your academic pursuit--to expand your ability to converse about the texts we will be discussing. This space is essentially yours to post relevant--and presumably intelligent--comments and questions regarding our readings.

Please note the following rules:

1. ONLY students currently enrolled in MHS English IV Pd. 2 may post comments here. This is not a discussion board intended for the world--and each of my other classes has their own blogsites, to which they are similarly confined.

2. anyone who posts must do so with their REAL first name. Any posts found to be made using names other than real (for example, posting using another student's name) will be dealt with according to school disciplinary policy.

3. all discussion will proceed in respectful, scholarly manner.

4. to ensure that #3 is obeyed, I will personally monitor all discussions on this blog. It's not that I don't trust teenagers to behave in responsible ways. . .oh, wait--yes, it is. I don't. Don't take it personally.

5. Do not expect me to comment on every posting, even if a question has been directly asked of me by one of you. I am much more interested to see whether your fellow scholars are capable of suggesting viable answers and explanations. I reserve the right to comment when and if I deem it necessary. Frequently, I will allow a discussion thread to continue unabated, in order to bring that thread into class for further investigation.

6. From time to time, if the mood strikes me, I may make a comment or pose a question, or refer you to some additional reading I've discovered. Just because I've done that does not make you obligated to respond. . .at least, not yet.

7. Just in case you forgot--please remember: I treat you as "pre-college" rather than as "high school seniors," until you give me reason to treat you otherwise. Reconcile yourself to the gravity of that reality right now, and be prepared to handle the work that will reasonably emerge for you this year. Conduct yourself with that level of academic responsibility in mind.

8. Oh--and, yes, the blog will be a required element of your grade each marking period; that is to say, every RELEVANT, SCHOLARLY, THOUGHT-PROVOKING post or comment you make is worth points toward your end-of-marking-period blog/participation grade. (Yes, I am the ultimate arbiter of what fits those characteristics and what does not). Posts that START discussions are generally (but not always, depending on content) worth more than comments that continue discussions--but be assured that I am expecting each of your to be participating on BOTH sides, as posters and commenters. So make blogging a part of your daily online ritual (along with checking your Facebook and playing World of Warcraft). Check it frequently, and post or comment consistently. The concept of "participation" is now no longer restricted to the classroom walls!

That's all I can think of at the moment, but I also reserve the right to change/adjust/modify/ invent as we go along. (Because I can, that's why!) I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and working with you throughout this year.

Mr. LAZ