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Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoning, 2nd Edition cover art

Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoning, 2nd Edition

By: David Zarefsky, The Great Courses
Narrated by: David Zarefsky
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Summary

What is effective reasoning? And how can it be done persuasively? These questions have been asked for thousands of years, yet some of the best thinking on reasoning and argumentation is recent and represents a break from the past.

These 24 engaging lectures teach you how to reason, how to persuade others that what you think is right, and how to judge and answer the arguments of others - and how they will judge yours. Professor Zarefsky makes argumentation accessible and familiar by breaking it into five easy-to-understand components: The tools of formal logic, while essential and even definitive for mathematics and programming computers, are inadequate to decide most controversial issues.

This course shows more useful approaches. Arguments can be divided into three parts: a claim, evidence, and an inference linking the evidence to the claim. All arguments fall into a handful of distinctive categories, and the same issues are at stake each time one of these distinctive patterns occurs. Three kinds of evidence can be advanced to prove an argument that something is true: objective data, social consensus, and personal credibility. There are six kinds of inference that link evidence to a claim: example, cause, sign, analogy, narrative, and form. How to use and challenge each is explained.

Along the way, you'll look at numerous actual controversies with a perspective that allows you to see the structure of all disputes. In this way, argument becomes an exchange, not just a flurry of words.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2005 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2005 The Great Courses

What listeners say about Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoning, 2nd Edition

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Noticeably improved my rational thinking skills

This lecturer is fantastic. He's passionate, warm, likeable and competent. His demeanour carried me through some of the more complicated bits.

As far as the content goes:

The course breaks down the components of logic and argumentation and makes the listener familiar with them. Then it demonstrates logic and augmentation of some famous political debates. In doing so through repetition and exposure I felt the content was tedious and challenging at times, sometimes I was just getting through it, but afterwards I am shocked at my skills and ability to cut to the heart of arguments I come across and challenge claims and logic. This has benefited me in all areas as strength of logic is valued in most areas. I think this is a fantastic tool for learning and wished I'd come across it years ago.

The content and lecturer are outstanding and the work 'The Great Courses' do is wonderful for someone like myself who has no time to read and dyslexia but is still very fanatical about learning. However, one still has to endure the embarrassingly pretentious classical trumpet outbursts and audience clapping sound bytes at the beginning of every lecture! Also I feel that any lecture series that names itself 'The Great Courses' can't be that great. It's all transparently socially aspiring and an appeal to the grandiosity of the archetypal university which falls flat as insincere, arrogant and pompous. Further, judging by the reviews of many other listeners of their lectures on audible there are very few who these tactics have the desired affect on. However this doesn't invalidate the courses that have to be examined on a case by case basis and this pomposity is a small price to pay for the content. I mention it here more to change 'The Great Courses' approach and let off some steam.

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18 people found this helpful

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one of the worst Teaching Company products

This course advocates and teaches adversarial emotive argumentation.
In itself, that is not terrible, however...
After mentioning Thomas Kuhn (always a warning sign), the presenter introduces a Straw Man definition of scientific reasoning.
Later, he uses this Straw Man to conclude that science cannot involve probabilistic reasoning!
Wow!
Just wow!
This course is rich in material for anyone interested in studying intellectual dishonestly.

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3 people found this helpful

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Fantastic Course

Clearly a knowledgeable and passionate individual in the field. Experience Tells. What a brilliant academic.

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Dry topic

It's great if you want to disect arguments down to their fine detail and if you want to understand the different parts of arguments. Good for debators or anyone that needs to structure arguments in their profession... couldn't see any practical application for day-to-day life.

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  • 29-01-15

excellent and informative course

very good and clear presentation style, useful examples and the explanation of the subject was thorough and well structured

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Superlative. complexity rendered accessible...

.... step by step. It is well paced and parsed. So many have lost their voice, had it taken, stripped away. Finding our voice is one step, we need the skills to apply it and understand how others are applying theirs. Zarefsky has impressively packaged such a vast and controversial subject in 24 lectures, is testament to how experienced he is in imparting the subject matter. Contrary to one misguided commentary, Professor often states the goal and manner of argumentation as contrary to competition, demolition, or domination. The material he references enriches and contains our focus, while guiding our potentially rising emotions. I learned so much. My degrees are in philosophy, psychology where I studied Rhetoric, logic. And i currently represent and argue controversial themes, while assisting silenced people as they uncover their voice. This course has enhanced my life.

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Will read again

learning argumentation from a generic stance
helped me to think about the differences and similarities between faculties such as law and science

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