In beginning Composition classes we often ask our students to choose topics that are arguable. We routinely ask them to make arguments, to take sides on an issue. Often times students reply to this by expressing skepticism about argumentation. “Arguing is stupid,” they say.
I suspect this response stems from the meaning we place on the word argument. An argument for most of us is an unpleasant experience full of anger and yelling. Even in the public arena this definition has gained ground as 24-hour news networks fill their time with rosters of pundits yelling about the righteousness of their “side” and shouting down anyone who dares disagree.
But argument and debate are critical rhetorical tools and being able to argue or debate well is a valuable skill (or more accurately, a skill set). Crafting a good argument entails gathering a sufficient amount of information on the subject or issue. That information must be understood and, indeed, weighed to determine the relative value of the information. Furthermore, argument requires the writer or speaker to understand the counter-argument – the other side of the argument – in order to be able to find its strengths and weaknesses. Arguing, then, is a way of deriving truth from an issue. Moreover, it is a way of solving the problem presented by the issue.
Certainly, this is a simplified view of argumentation. Many arguments persist because there is no clear “truth” to be found; the evidence can rightly be interpreted in a variety of ways. It is also an oversimplification, and in fact a true error of thinking many of us make, to assume that there are only two sides to any issue or argument. Often, there are many sides of any issue.
Nevertheless, the value of argumentation as a skill set cannot be overstated. Despite the fact that is can often fail to yield the solution to an issue or problem, it often does yield a solution. The process, as we’ve said, is extremely valuable for understanding the nature of the issue or problem, and this process isn’t merely academic in nature.
Business is problem-solving. People work because there are problems to be solved. We need to get somewhere, but there is no clear path. Problem. So, we build a road. The road begins to slip into disrepair. Problem. We repair the road. We cannot get to our destination quickly enough. Problem. So we create fast means of transportation, like automobiles. Choose any product or service and you’ll find in it someone’s attempt to solve someone else’s (or their own) problem.
When your teachers are asking you to choose an arguable topic, they’re not out to frustrate you. They’re simply beginning the process of teaching you how to gather information, understand it, and propose solutions to problems. Every argumentative paper you write – arguably any paper you write – is an exercise in problem-solving. This is one of the most valuable skills you will acquire in school because no matter what career you choose to pursue, your ultimate job is going to be to solve problems.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
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2 comments:
I would tend to argue your point, if I may.
Having attended a university, and now working at one, there is little room for an argument or debate. I was a poli sci major and can attest, not being a bleeding heart liberal, it was next to impossible to have a professor see my point - no matter how well argued; I was just wrong. I didn't get it.
So I am amazed that teachers are appalled that so many students don't have critical thinking skills when those skills are not taught any more. I see it everyday in students who try and then teachers who beat them down. Yes, I know not ALL teachers are this way, but those that aren't are in a minority. A majority of them just want to hear the "right" view of any subject they have them write about.
Personally I am not surprised that students think is "stupid to argue" - why bother when the teacher says you are wrong and then TELLS you what you should think.
I find it sad the state of our schools and what is passed off for education, let alone the sad state of "critical thinking" in our present educational system. I think we should fire them all and demand a refund for the pathetic job K-12 and higher ed has done in the past 20 years.
Anonymous,
Certainly you may argue my point. I welcome comments and counter-arguments on this blog. In many ways, that's the strength and appeal of a blog.
I'm not quite clear, however, on what point you wish to argue. While I make several smaller points along the way, the point of the post was that argumentation is a set of skills that can help people solve problems and, as such, is a useful set of skills to possess in the business world because business is about solving problems. Your comment does not appear to support or question this point.
Your own argument, however, is fraught with emotionally charged language such as "not being a bleeding heart liberal" and "I think we should fire them all." If this is how you built arguments in your poli sci classes, I'm not surprised you had difficulty getting your professors to accept your views. I suspect their assessment of your arguments had less to do with their ideological content and more to do with the lack of reasoned, substantiated, and viable claims. I wasn't there, so I can't say for sure.
What I can say, from my own experience in a broad range of classes from political science, history, philosophy, and literature, is that I encountered a variety of ideological beliefs among the professors I had. Furthermore, I never once had a professor reject my work based on an ideological conflict. I did, from time to time, have work criticized for not actually making the case I had tried to make or for other substantive reasons. When there were ideological disagreements between me and my professors, I was often engaged in meaningful and substantive debate. Often times, professors went to great lengths to show me how to improve my argument even though they disagreed with my conclusions. In short, I found most faculty to be both open-minded and encouraging of my own views and always encouraging of my pursuit of more information and greater understanding.
I'm sorry that your own experience was frustrating for you. Perhaps the emotional content in your comment comes from this frustration or perhaps your strongly-held views prevented you from being able to accept any view your professors offered that were counter to the ones you already held -- the very charge you make against your professors.
In any case, your comment does serve to illuminate a fact of life, whether in academia or the business world: schools and businesses are run by people, and people have individual points of view which determine how they view the world around them, how they interpret facts, and how they arrive at conclusions. Because of the diverse array of views and people, arguments will occur. The keys to navigating those arguments are an open mind and some ability to remain objective in the face of information or views that conflict with your own. If you can accomplish that, you should be able to draw your own rational and well-supported opinions and make wise choices as you live your life.
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