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9.16: Introduction to Counterarguments

Last updated

Jul 22, 2023
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- 9.15: Spotting Logical Fallacies
- 9.17: Formula for Refutation and Rebuttal

Lumen Learning
Lumen Learning

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What you’ll learn to do: evaluate strategies for rebuttal and refutation of counterargument

An integral part of composing a strong argument is including counterargument. This can be difficult, especially if a writer is arguing for a position s/he already agrees with. In such cases, writers can sometimes make good points to support their stances; however, their arguments are vulnerable unless they anticipate and address counterarguments. When a writer does this, it is often referred to as rebuttal or refutation. Some scholars of rhetoric differentiate the two words in terms of if you can actually disprove a claim or just argue against it; however, in this section, we will use the terms as basically interchangeable to help get you more used to their function in argument.

Contributors and Attributions

Rebuttal and Refutation. Provided by: University of Mississippi. Project: PLATO Project. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike

Image of good bad paper strips. Authored by: Fathromi Ramdlon. Provided by: Pixabay. Located at: pixabay.com/photos/good-bad-opposite-choice-choose-1123013/. License: Other. License Terms: pixabay.com/service/terms/#license

What you’ll learn to do: evaluate strategies for rebuttal and refutation of counterargument

Contributors and Attributions

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