2.2: Uses of Arguments

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Arguments can be used for various purposes. You will understand the different functions of arguments better once you have analyzed some examples, but we will mention three of the main functions of arguments here.

Reasoning

We often use arguments when we are engaged in problem solving or deliberation. We reason about what would happen if we did certain things, or if certain events occurred. In such situations, we are not trying to justify a particular claim. We are instead interested in what would follow if certain things were true. This is sometimes called ‘what-if reasoning’. What, for example, would follow if you spend $3,500 on a car this fall? Well, let’s assume that you do. Let’s do a little calculation. That would only leave you $450. Not good. So, what would follow if you spend $2,800? You try out different possibilities and reason about their consequences.

Persuasion

We often use arguments to try to convince or persuade someone that something is true. In such cases, we are trying to get someone to accept the conclusion of our argument by giving them reasons (premises) to believe it. Our audience may be huge (as with the viewers of a presidential debate, or the readers of an editorial in a large newspaper) or small (maybe just one other person – or even just oneself). But in each case, the aim is to make a definite claim and to justify it by giving reasons that support it.

Evaluation

Often, we need to evaluate other people’s arguments, and sometimes to refute them. Is their argument any good? And if it isn’t, it may be important to be able to say just where it goes wrong. In such cases, we need to reason critically to show that the premises of the argument do not adequately support its conclusion. Some of the inferences we draw are good and others are not. Some arguments are strong and others are weak. A chief goal of a book like this one is to help you separate good arguments from bad ones. This will be a goal throughout most of the book, but first we need to know how to identify arguments when we come across them.