CHAPTER 3 WHAT AM I GOING TO ARGUE ABOUT?
True or False
3-1 The proposition is a statement, the acceptance of which would result in an alteration
of belief or behavior.
3-3 The wording of a proposition points to the kind of change the advocate must support.
3-4 In a factual proposition, the argumentative ground concerns opposing evaluations of
3-5 Propositions of fact assert a relationship between things, events, or persons.
3-6 Propositions should be phrased as a single statement, containing one central idea
about the object of change and the direction of change.
3-7 Propositions should be phrased so that they contain several different ideas about the
object of change and the kinds of changes that might be made.
3-8 It is best to phrase a proposition in such a way that the audience knows your exact
3-9 The dictionary problem is that a standard dictionary does not necessarily tell us the
meaning or a word or term as it is used in a particular field.
3-10 The dictionary problem refers to the problem that we often need to define terms
3-11 However you choose to define a term, the definition should include all items which
properly fall under the term being defined, and exclude all items which do not.
3-12 Definitions should be phrased so that their meaning is adapted to the needs of the
3-13 Definitions should be descriptive of your feelings about the term being defined.
3-14 The definition of a key term should be phrased in such a way that its meaning
becomes clearer for the audience.
3-15 You should define the terms of a proposition only if they are highly technical in
nature.
3-16 The only terms you really need to define are those that are likely to be ambiguous,
open to a variety of interpretations by the audience.
3-17 A vague term need not be defined since the listener or reader of argumentation will
supply his own definition.
3-18 New terms are those that are invented when a convenient term does not already
3-19 When we define terms operationally, we turn to some authoritative source, such as
Black’s Law Dictionary.
3-20 A behavioral definition of a term tells us what function that term performs.
Multiple Choice
3-1 The use of a proposition identifies the alteration of belief or behavior the advocate
desires, the burden of proof, and presumption. This is the __________ objective of
propositions.
(a) definition of terms
(b) direction of change
(c) issue identification
(d) extent of response
3-2 These are the central questions suggested by the wording of a proposition and how
the advocate defines the key terms of the proposition.
(a) Presumptions
(b) Issues
(c) Interpretations
(d) Ideas
3-3 “Unemployment will not be solved by job retraining programs,” is an example of a
proposition of
(a) fact.
(b) value.
(c) policy.
(d) definition.
3-4 “Restrictions on foreign imports will not solve the problems of American industry” is
an example of a proposition of
(a) fact.
(b) value.
(c) policy.
3-5 “The university’s operating budget can be significantly reduced by changing to a tenweek
semester system,” is an example of a proposition of
(a) fact.
(b) value.
(c) policy.
(d) definition.
3-6 “The Bush Administration’s methods of reducing the high cost of medical care have
been ineffective,” is an example of a proposition of
(a) fact.
(b) value.
(c) policy.
3-7 “Protecting the welfare of the American farmer is more important than balancing the
Federal budget,” is an example of a proposition of
(a) fact.
(b) value.
(c) policy.
(d) definition.
3-8 “Changing the academic calendar can be an effective way to reduce the university’s
operating budget.” Which of the terms in this proposition is the value object?
(a) “can be”
(b) “an effective way”
(c) “to reduce the university’s operating budget”
(d) “changing the academic calendar”
3-9 What must the advocate do in defining the value object?
(a) Define the thing that is being evaluated.
(b) Define the figurative ground over which evaluation is being made.
(c) Clarify whether this is a singular or comparative value judgment.
(d) Provide a source of criteria to use in evaluating the value object.
3-10 “Selected senior students can be adequately prepared to teach entry level courses at
this university .” Which of the terms in this proposition is the value judgment term?
(a) “selected senior students”
(b) “adequately prepared”
(c) “can be”
3-11 What must the advocate do in defining the value judgment term?
(a) Define the thing that is being evaluated.
(b) Define the figurative ground over which evaluation is being made.
(c) Clarify whether this is a singular or a comparative value judgment.
(d) Provide a source of criteria to use in evaluating the value object.
3-12 “The Federal Government should implement a program which guarantees
employment opportunities for all U.S. Citizens in the labor force,” is an example of a
proposition of
(a) fact.
(b) value.
(c) policy.
3-13 The term “should” most commonly appears in propositions of
(a) fact.
(b) value.
(c) policy.
(d) definition.
3-14 A standard dictionary can be useful in some instances for defining the terms of a
proposition for argumentation. Which of the following is one of these uses?
(a) You need to define the technical terms of the jargon used in field, such as
“paradigm,” to operationally define a policy term.
(b) You need to define the relationship between the subject and predicate in a
proposition of fact.
(c) You need a list of synonyms for a vague or abstract value judgment term.
(d) You need to clarify the use of the word “should” in a policy proposition.
3-15 The definitional rule that states “phrase definitions so that the meaning is
appropriate to the context of the argument,” is known as the _________ rule.
(a) adaptation
(b) neutrality
(c) specificity
3-16 __________ terms require clarification because they have two or more equally
correct meanings.
(a) Vague
(b) Technical
(c) New
(d) Equivocal
3-17 “By education, I mean the publicly financed school system, including grades
kindergarten through twelve” is a definition by
(a) example.
(b) synonym.
(c) function.
3-18 In The Uses of Argument, Stephen Toulmin defines a “claim” as a statement that
expresses a specific position or some doubtful or controversial issues that the arguer
wants the audience to accept. This illustrates the technique of definition known as
(a) example.
(b) operation.
(c) synonym.
3-19 “By a six-day academic week, I mean a schedule in which four-credit classes will
meet for one hour and forty-five minutes and courses will be blocked in a Monday-
Wednesday-Friday or a Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday pattern,” illustrates which technique
of definition?
(a) Example
(b) Operation
(c) Synonym
(d) Authority
3-20 This type of argument specifies how something should be classified or understood.
(a) Definitional argument
(b) Presumption argument
(c) Inherency argument