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Counterarguments and Objections: Addressing Opposing Views in Academic Writing, Study notes of Logic

Florida Panhandle Technical CollegeLogic

Strategies for strengthening arguments in academic writing by anticipating and addressing counterarguments or objections. It discusses the importance of considering opposing views and offers strategies for researching and responding to them. The document also introduces the concepts of refutation and accommodation as methods for incorporating counterarguments into essays.

What you will learn

  • What are some strategies for addressing counterarguments in academic writing?
  • How can research help in anticipating and responding to counterarguments?

Typology: Study notes

2021/2022

Uploaded on 09/12/2022

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magicphil 🇺🇸

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Onewaytostrengthenyourargumentanddemonstrateacomprehensiveunderstandingofthe
issueyouarediscussingistoanticipateandaddresscounterargumentsorobjections.Byconsid-
eringopposingviews,youshowthatyouhavethoughtthingsthrough,andyoudisposeofsome
ofthereasonsyouraudiencemighthavefornotacceptingyourargument.Askyourselfwhat
someonewhodisagreeswithyoumightsayinresponsetoeachofthepointsyou’vemadeor
aboutyourpositionasawhole.Ifyoucan’timmediatelyimagineanotherposition,herearesome
strategiestotry:
• Dosomeresearch.Itmayseemtoyouthatnoonecouldpossiblydisagreewiththeposition
youaretaking,butsomeoneprobablyhas.Forexample,somepeoplearguethattheHolo-
caustneveroccurred.IfyouaremakinganargumentabouttheNazitreatmentofJewsduring
WorldWarII,therefore,youmightwishtoseewhatsomeofthesepeoplehavetosay.
• Talkwithafriendorwithyourinstructor.Anotherpersonmaybeabletoplaydevil’sadvo-
cateandsuggestcounterargumentsthathaven’toccurredtoyou.
• Considereachofyoursupportingpointsindividual.Evenifyou+inditdif+iculttoseewhyany-
onewoulddisagreewithyourcentralargument,youmaybeabletoimaginemoreeasilyhow
someonecoulddisagreewiththeindividualpartsofyourargument.Thenyoucanseewhich
ofthesecounterargumentsaremostworthconsidering.Forexample,ifyouargued“Cats
makethebestpets.Thisisbecausetheyarecleanandindependent,”youmightimagine
someonesaying“Catsdonotmakethebestpets.Theyaredirtyanddemanding.”
Onceyouhaveconsideredpotentialcounterarguments,decidehowyoumightrespondtothem:
Willyouconcedethatyouropponenthasapointbutexplainwhyyouraudienceshouldnonethe-
lessacceptyourargument?Orwillyourejectthecounterargumentandexplainwhyitismistak-
en?Eitherway,youwillwanttoleaveyourreaderwithasensethatyourargumentisstronger
thanopposingarguments.
Twostrategiesareavailabletoincorporatecounterargumentsintoyouressay:
Refutation
Refutationseekstodisproveopposingargumentsbypointingouttheirweaknesses.Thisap-
proachisgenerallymosteffectiveifitnothostileorsarcastic;withmethodical,matter-of-factlan-
guageidentifythelogical,theoretical,orfactual+lawsoftheopposition.
Forexample,inanessaysupportingthereintroductionofwolvesintowesternfarmlands,awrit-
ermightrefuteopponentsbychallengingthelogicoftheirassumptions:
Althoughsomefarmershaveexpressedconcernthatwolvesmightposeathreattothesafety
ofsheep,cattle,orevensmallchildren,theirfearsareunfounded.Wolvesfearhumanseven
morethanhumansfearwolves,andwilltrespassontodevelopedfarmlandonlyifdesperate
forfood.Theuninhabitedwildernessthatwillbecomethewolves’newhomehassuchan
abundanceoffoodthatthereisvirtuallynochancethattheseshyanimalswillstrayany-
wherenearhumans.
COUNTERARGUMENT
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Download Counterarguments and Objections: Addressing Opposing Views in Academic Writing and more Study notes Logic in PDF only on Docsity!

One way to strengthen your argument and demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the issue you are discussing is to anticipate and address counterarguments or objections. By consid- ering opposing views, you show that you have thought things through, and you dispose of some of the reasons your audience might have for not accepting your argument. Ask yourself what someone who disagrees with you might say in response to each of the points you’ve made or about your position as a whole. If you can’t immediately imagine another position, here are some strategies to try:

  • Do some research. It may seem to you that no one could possibly disagree with the position you are taking, but someone probably has. For example, some people argue that the Holo- caust never occurred. If you are making an argument about the Nazi treatment of Jews during World War II, therefore, you might wish to see what some of these people have to say.
  • Talk with a friend or with your instructor. Another person may be able to play devil’s advo- cate and suggest counterarguments that haven’t occurred to you.
  • Consider each of your supporting points individual. Even if you +ind it dif+icult to see why any- one would disagree with your central argument, you may be able to imagine more easily how someone could disagree with the individual parts of your argument. Then you can see which of these counterarguments are most worth considering. For example, if you argued “Cats make the best pets. This is because they are clean and independent,” you might imagine someone saying “Cats do not make the best pets. They are dirty and demanding.”

Once you have considered potential counterarguments, decide how you might respond to them: Will you concede that your opponent has a point but explain why your audience should nonethe- less accept your argument? Or will you reject the counterargument and explain why it is mistak- en? Either way, you will want to leave your reader with a sense that your argument is stronger than opposing arguments.

Two strategies are available to incorporate counterarguments into your essay:

Refutation

Refutation seeks to disprove opposing arguments by pointing out their weaknesses. This ap- proach is generally most effective if it not hostile or sarcastic; with methodical, matter-of-fact lan- guage identify the logical, theoretical, or factual +laws of the opposition.

For example, in an essay supporting the reintroduction of wolves into western farmlands, a writ- er might refute opponents by challenging the logic of their assumptions:

Although some farmers have expressed concern that wolves might pose a threat to the safety of sheep, cattle, or even small children, their fears are unfounded. Wolves fear humans even more than humans fear wolves, and will trespass onto developed farmland only if desperate for food. The uninhabited wilderness that will become the wolves’ new home has such an abundance of food that there is virtually no chance that these shy animals will stray any- where near humans.

COUNTERARGUMENT

Here, the writer acknowledges the opposing view (wolves will endanger livestock and children) and refutes it (the wolves will never be hungry enough to do so).

Accommodation

Accommodation acknowledges the validity of the opposing view, but argues that other considerations outweigh it. In other words, this strategy turns the tables by agreeing (to some extent) with the opposition.

For example, the writer arguing for the reintroduction of wolves might accommodate the opposing view by writing:

Critics of the program have argued that reintroducing wolves is far too expensive a project to be considered seriously at this time. Although the reintroduction program is costly, it will only become more costly the longer it is put on hold. Furthermore, wolves will help control the population of pest animals in the area, saving farmers money on extermination costs. Finally, the preservation of an endangered species is worth far more to the environment and the ecological movement than the money that taxpayers would save if this wolf relocation initiative were to be abandoned.

This writer acknowledges the opposing position (the program is too expensive), agrees with it (yes, it is expensive), and then goes on to argue that despite the expense, the pro- gram is worthwhile.

S F H

Don’t play dirty. When you summarize opposing arguments, be charitable. Present each argument fairly and objectively, rather than trying to make it look foolish. You want to convince your readers that you have considered carefully all sides of the issues that you are not simply attacking or caricaturing your opponents.

Sometimes less is more. It is usually better to consider one or two serious counterargu- ments in some depth, rather than to address every counterargument, no matter how.

Keep an open mind. Be sure that your reply is consistent with your original argument. Careful consideration of counterarguments can complicate or change your perspective on an issue. There’s nothing wrong with adopting a different perspective or changing your mind, but if you do, be sure to revise your thesis accordingly.