"Writing an Argument" Reading Response

Arguing is a part of human nature.  Every family has a father like Ballenger’s that is fond of arguing just for the thrill of the argument.  In his writing, Ballenger takes on the task of explaining how to develop a good argument, whether it be an informal op-ed or a formal academic paper.  Ballenger focuses on how important it is for a writer to have both strong opinions, but to be open to other explanations and ways of thinking.  I see this demonstrated in my person life with my family, similar to Ballenger’s.  Arguing at family get togethers is nothing unusual.  Within the arguments, family members may have extremely different opinions, but they are open to what is being discussed around them.  As Ballenger stated, “[...] they often were getting along because argument and conflict in some cultures is an expression of commitment and caring” (203).  But how do we go from informal dinner table arguments to formal persuasive essays or argument papers?  

Before investigating our argument, we have to make sense of our preconceived viewpoints and assumptions, or warrants as Toulman states it.  As a writer we have to explore different aspects to either support or change our warrants.  In order to do this, Ballenger suggests that we need to stop thinking about our argument as black or white, with two simple sides.  Developing an argument is complex and may have more sides than those that first appear.  According to Ballenger, an arguer does not simply pick sides, but searches for the truth.  “This is an open-ended as well as a closed process; it involves suspending judgement and coming to conclusions, hearing what has already been said and discovering what you think” (208).  This holds true in both formal arguments along with informal op-eds.

Reading Ballenger’s explanations and opinions on what contributes to a good argument has been very informative.  Ballenger pointed out on more than on occasion that some argument papers do not first state their thesis at the beginning of their paper.  I found this very interesting, having always included my thesis in introductions myself.  However, having a delaying thesis seems very reasonable.  While writing an argument paper, you work towards your thesis through research and exploration, coming across different ideas that may have not reached your attention before.  Along with the delayed thesis idea, Ballenger’s emphasis on the importance of providing evidence to support claims has allowed me to become aware of how crucial it is to gather enough information to do this.  Overall this read has prepared me with ideas and explanations to get started writing an argument paper.