Argument Outline Assignment

PHIL 3000-R09, Philosophical Ethics

Fall 2012

Assignment: Argument Outline

All philosophical texts and almost all texts contain argumentative components.  Those structural components are two:

1. A conclusion: this the ultimate, the major claim that an author makes in any selection of a written work. Any selection of a written work has a conclusion, and frequently several premises. The conclusion in one selection of a written work can in turn be a premise for a longer selection of text that includes the first.  That longer selection in turn has its own conclusion. Conclusions are usually explicitly stated within the selection, but not always.  You must check your conclusion with the professor before you begin work on the outline.

2. Premises: these are shorter, more modest claims or propositions, which are effectively added to other premises in order to result in the conclusion. There are two types of premises: implicit and explicit. Explicit premises are found stated within the text, whereas implicit premises are not stated, but can be inferred from the conclusion and explicit premises. Every argument has both explicit and implicit premises.

How to write it:

To write an argument outline, you will need to collect several elements.

1. The outline should begin with the conclusion; remember you need to put this in your own language, not in the author’s language. Ask yourself, how would you explain this to your classmate?
2. It should have a list of premises (preferably no more than one sentence each).  Each premise should have a parenthetical page citation at the end of that sentence (inside the period). For clarity’s sake, number the premises and mark those that are explicit and those that are not. Implicit premises do not require citations.
3. You must have at least 2 implicit premises.
4. The outline should be between 400-500 words.
5. The outline should be in outline, not prose form.  If confused, see the example posted.
6. The outline should not be a summary. You are not required to summarize the text, and some claims in the text may not be pertinent to the argument you are outlining. They should not be included in the outline.

Check the addition:

An outline is like a mathematical equation. If the premises do not lead to the conclusion, then something is wrong.

Textual source:

For the outline you will be assigned a short textual passage. You should try to draw your conclusion and premises from that passage and not from outside of that passage, as much as that is possible.

Publication:                                                                                              

Each argument outline must be published on the course blog on the date due (listed on the schedule), which can be found under the “Assignments” tab in Blackboard.  You are free to correct it either through comments on the original posting or through strikethrough text markings to the original posting.  Grading will be based on the original posting, but your colleagues depend on any necessary clarifications to the original posting, at your earliest convenience.

Each student is responsible for completing one outline during the semester, but there may be opportunities for students to do a second, if they wish (in order to raise a grade).