{"id":1202,"date":"2020-03-13T14:44:55","date_gmt":"2020-03-13T14:44:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/irsc-english\/chapter\/text-organically-structured-arguments\/"},"modified":"2020-03-14T02:28:45","modified_gmt":"2020-03-14T02:28:45","slug":"text-organically-structured-arguments","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/irsc-english\/chapter\/text-organically-structured-arguments\/","title":{"raw":"Organically Structured Arguments","rendered":"Organically Structured Arguments"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Evaluate components of an effective logical argument<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-537 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/107\/2016\/06\/30200133\/4588258211_c3a33418d6_z-239x300.jpg\" alt=\"yellow birdhouse with three levels\" width=\"239\" height=\"300\" \/>The three-story thesis is a beautiful thing. For one, it gives a paper authentic momentum. The first paragraph doesn\u2019t just start with some broad, vague statement; every sentence is crucial for setting up the thesis. The body paragraphs build on one another, moving through each step of the logical chain. Each paragraph leads inevitably to the next, making the transitions from paragraph to paragraph feel wholly natural. The conclusion, instead of being a mirror-image paraphrase of the introduction, builds out the third story by explaining the broader implications of the argument. It offers new insight without departing from the flow of the analysis. <\/span><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">A paper with this kind of momentum often reads like it was knocked out in one inspired sitting. But in reality, just like accomplished athletes and artists, masterful writers make the difficult thing look easy. As writer Anne Lamott notes, reading a well written piece feels like its author sat down and typed it out, \u201cbounding along like huskies across the snow.\u201d However, she continues, <\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<blockquote>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">This is just the fantasy of the uninitiated. I know some very great writers, writers you love who write beautifully and have made a great deal of money, and not one of them sits down routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident. Not one of them writes elegant first drafts. All right, one of them does, but we do not like her very much.[footnote]Anne Lamott, <em>Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life<\/em> (New York: Pantheon, 1994), 21.[\/footnote]<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Experienced writers don\u2019t figure out what they want to say and then write it. They write in order to figure out what they want to say. <\/span><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Experienced writers develop theses in dialog with the body of the essay. An initial characterization of the problem leads to a tentative thesis, and then drafting the body of the paper reveals thorny contradictions or critical areas of ambiguity, prompting the writer to revisit or expand the body of evidence and then refine the thesis based on that fresh look. The revised thesis may require that body paragraphs be reordered and reshaped to fit the\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s1\">emerging three-story thesis. Throughout the process, the thesis serves as an anchor point while the author wades through the morass of facts and ideas. The dialogue between thesis and body continues until the author is satisfied or the due date arrives, whatever comes first.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Another benefit of the three-story thesis framework is that it demystifies what a \u201cstrong\u201d argument is in academic culture. In an era of political polarization, many students may think that a strong argument is based on a simple, bold, combative statement that is promoted it in the most forceful way possible. \u201cGun control is a travesty!\u201d \u201cShakespeare is the best writer who ever lived!\u201d When students are encouraged to consider contrasting perspectives in their papers, they fear that doing so will make their own thesis seem mushy and weak. However, in academics a \u201cstrong\u201d argument is comprehensive and nuanced, not simple and polemical. The purpose of the argument is to explain to readers why the author\u2014through the course of his or her in-depth study\u2014has arrived at a somewhat surprising point. On that basis, it has to consider plausible counter-arguments and contradictory information. Academic argumentation exemplifies the popular adage about all writing: show, don\u2019t tell. In crafting and carrying out the three-story thesis, you are showing your reader the work you have done.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2>Logic and Structure<\/h2>\r\nBig picture, there are several key components that are required for any effective argumentative essay. This video discusses what they are, and options for what order to present them in.\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/tAmgEa1B1vI","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Evaluate components of an effective logical argument<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-537 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/107\/2016\/06\/30200133\/4588258211_c3a33418d6_z-239x300.jpg\" alt=\"yellow birdhouse with three levels\" width=\"239\" height=\"300\" \/>The three-story thesis is a beautiful thing. For one, it gives a paper authentic momentum. The first paragraph doesn\u2019t just start with some broad, vague statement; every sentence is crucial for setting up the thesis. The body paragraphs build on one another, moving through each step of the logical chain. Each paragraph leads inevitably to the next, making the transitions from paragraph to paragraph feel wholly natural. The conclusion, instead of being a mirror-image paraphrase of the introduction, builds out the third story by explaining the broader implications of the argument. It offers new insight without departing from the flow of the analysis. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">A paper with this kind of momentum often reads like it was knocked out in one inspired sitting. But in reality, just like accomplished athletes and artists, masterful writers make the difficult thing look easy. As writer Anne Lamott notes, reading a well written piece feels like its author sat down and typed it out, \u201cbounding along like huskies across the snow.\u201d However, she continues, <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">This is just the fantasy of the uninitiated. I know some very great writers, writers you love who write beautifully and have made a great deal of money, and not one of them sits down routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident. Not one of them writes elegant first drafts. All right, one of them does, but we do not like her very much.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (New York: Pantheon, 1994), 21.\" id=\"return-footnote-1202-1\" href=\"#footnote-1202-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Experienced writers don\u2019t figure out what they want to say and then write it. They write in order to figure out what they want to say. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Experienced writers develop theses in dialog with the body of the essay. An initial characterization of the problem leads to a tentative thesis, and then drafting the body of the paper reveals thorny contradictions or critical areas of ambiguity, prompting the writer to revisit or expand the body of evidence and then refine the thesis based on that fresh look. The revised thesis may require that body paragraphs be reordered and reshaped to fit the\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s1\">emerging three-story thesis. Throughout the process, the thesis serves as an anchor point while the author wades through the morass of facts and ideas. The dialogue between thesis and body continues until the author is satisfied or the due date arrives, whatever comes first.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Another benefit of the three-story thesis framework is that it demystifies what a \u201cstrong\u201d argument is in academic culture. In an era of political polarization, many students may think that a strong argument is based on a simple, bold, combative statement that is promoted it in the most forceful way possible. \u201cGun control is a travesty!\u201d \u201cShakespeare is the best writer who ever lived!\u201d When students are encouraged to consider contrasting perspectives in their papers, they fear that doing so will make their own thesis seem mushy and weak. However, in academics a \u201cstrong\u201d argument is comprehensive and nuanced, not simple and polemical. The purpose of the argument is to explain to readers why the author\u2014through the course of his or her in-depth study\u2014has arrived at a somewhat surprising point. On that basis, it has to consider plausible counter-arguments and contradictory information. Academic argumentation exemplifies the popular adage about all writing: show, don\u2019t tell. In crafting and carrying out the three-story thesis, you are showing your reader the work you have done.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Logic and Structure<\/h2>\n<p>Big picture, there are several key components that are required for any effective argumentative essay. This video discusses what they are, and options for what order to present them in.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"oembed-1\" title=\"How to Write a Good Argumentative Essay: Logical Structure\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tAmgEa1B1vI?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-1202\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Revision and Adaptation. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Three-story theses and the organically structured argument. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Amy Guptill. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: The College at Brockport, SUNY. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/textbooks.opensuny.org\/writing-in-college-from-competence-to-excellence\/\">http:\/\/textbooks.opensuny.org\/writing-in-college-from-competence-to-excellence\/<\/a>. <strong>Project<\/strong>: Writing in College: From Competence to Excellence. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of birdhouse. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Peter Stevens. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/7Zs2jc\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/7Zs2jc<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">All rights reserved content<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>How to Write a Good Argumentative Essay: Logical Structure. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Kevin deLaplante. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/tAmgEa1B1vI\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/tAmgEa1B1vI<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em>All Rights Reserved<\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: Standard YouTube License<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section><hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-1202-1\">Anne Lamott, <em>Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life<\/em> (New York: Pantheon, 1994), 21. <a href=\"#return-footnote-1202-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":29,"menu_order":17,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Three-story theses and the organically structured argument\",\"author\":\"Amy Guptill\",\"organization\":\"The College at Brockport, SUNY\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/textbooks.opensuny.org\/writing-in-college-from-competence-to-excellence\/\",\"project\":\"Writing in College: From Competence to Excellence\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Image of birdhouse\",\"author\":\"Peter Stevens\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/7Zs2jc\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Revision and Adaptation\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"copyrighted_video\",\"description\":\"How to Write a Good Argumentative Essay: Logical Structure\",\"author\":\"Kevin deLaplante\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/tAmgEa1B1vI\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"arr\",\"license_terms\":\"Standard YouTube License\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"33f68543-434f-4b78-a869-058245607576, 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