Mark Battersby and Sharon Bailin
1. Introduction[1],[2]
An important function of argumentation is to inquire into issues that are controversial or the subject of debate in order to come to reasoned and reasonable judgments about them. The analysis and critique of individual arguments is one aspect of this process, helping to weed out bad arguments: arguments that provide little or no support for a particular position. It does not, however, on its own, get us to the goal of deciding what it is reasonable to believe or do. What is required is a comparative evaluation of the arguments on various sides of the issue.
Let us take, for example, the issue of whether physician-assisted dying should be legal. One could reject the argument that such a law would inevitably lead to the termination of the physically disabled as committing the slippery slope fallacy. But this would not, on its own, tell us whether or not such a law should be supported. Making this judgment requires comparatively evaluating the arguments both for and against physician-assisted dying.
Goal of the unit
To learn to use argumentation to make reasoned judgments about real, complex issues.
Learning Objectives
Students will learn to:
- clearly identify the issue
- understand the various positions, the evidence and arguments on various sides of the issue, any objections and responses to the objections, and relevant alternative arguments and views
- understand the history and context of the debate
- evaluate the individual arguments
- comparatively evaluate and weigh the various pro and con arguments and come to a reasoned judgment
Method
We suggest using the following questions to guide the inquiry process:
- What is the issue?
- What kinds of claims or judgments are at issue?
- What are the relevant reasons and arguments on various sides of the issue?
- What is the context of the issue?
- How strong is each of the arguments?
- Weighing and balancing the evaluated arguments, what judgment should we come to?
Lesson Suggestions
We will demonstrate the methodology using a dialogue about a controversial issue (assisted dying) as the basis for the inquiry. Instead of dialogues, class inquiries could be based on a current issue of interest to students, a media piece, op. ed, blog post, online debate, etc.
2. Assisted Dying
Nancy: (looking at a Tweet on her cell phone) Right on! It’s about time.
Ravi: What are you so excited about?
Nancy: They’ve just passed a law that physician-assisted suicide will be legal—actually they’re calling it medical aid in dying. It’s long overdue.
Ravi: Do you mean to say that you agree with the decision?
Nancy: Well of course. People have a basic right to control their own lives. And that’s got to include the right to decide when to end it.
Ravi: Now wait just a minute. We don’t condone killing in our society, and that’s what we’re really talking about.
Nancy: “Killing”—come on Ravi, that’s rather loaded. Suicide is not a crime and helping someone to do what they