Guest Lecture Argumentation (18 Feb 2025) ML (1).pdf

Guest Lecture

1. Guest lecture
argumentation
Matthijs Looij
[email protected]
Centre forLanguagesand Academic Skills

2. Source: musicradar.com

3. Source: musicradar.com

4. Source: musicradar.com

5. Guest lecture argumentation
•Goal:
•Basic understanding of argumentation
•Tools to critically assess argumentation
•Program:
•Part 1: Theory and examples
•Part 2: Practice

6. .
•It is important to exercise on a daily basis, because it improves your health
It is important to exercise
on a daily basis
Daily exercise improves
physical health
Is that true?

7. •It is important to exercise on a daily basis,
because it improves your health.
It is important to exercise
on a daily basis
Daily exercise improves
physical health
Daily exercise strengthens
the immune system
Several studies show
that this is the case
•It is important to exercise on a daily basis,
because it improves your health. Several
studies show that daily exercise
strengthens the immune system.

8. It is important to exercise
on a daily basis
Daily exercise improves
physical health
Daily exercise strengthens
the immune system
Several studies show
that this is the case
This may be true, but what about
other aspects of physical health?

9. It is important to exercise
on a daily basis
Daily exercise improves physical health
Daily exercise strengthens
the immune system
Several studies show
that this is the case
Daily exercise keeps your
brain healthy

10. Two types of criticism:
•On the content:
•Is it true?
•How do you know this?
•Do you have sources for this claim?
•On the justificatory force:
•Why is this relevant?
•Does the argument justify the claim?
•Are there any other reasons to not accept the claim
(counterarguments)?

11. You should delete your social media accounts. Social
media can be very addictive and can cause mental health
problems.

12. Standpoint:
Argument:
Bridging premise:
Critical questions:
•Is effect E realistic?
•Is effect E really positive/negative?
•Does A have other effects that may not be positive/negative?
You should (not) do A, because
A leads to effect E, and
if A leads to E, you should (not) do A
Pragmatic argumentation

13. The introduction of a women’s quota in Germany has led
to a significant increase in the number of women in high
management positions. We should do the same in the
Netherlands.

14. Standpoint:
Argument:
Bridging premise:
Critical questions:
•Is X really similar to Y?
•Are there any relevant differences between X and Y?
X, because
Y, and
X is similar to Y
Argument from analogy

15. Starry Night by Van Gogh is a wonderful painting. It has
vibrant colours and the technique Van Gogh used is quite
unique.

16. Standpoint:
Argument:
Bridging premise:
Critical questions:
•Is Y really a sign of X?
•Could Y be a sign of something else?
•Are there other reasons to assume that X is not the case?
X, because
Y, and
Y is a sign of X
Argument from sign

17. That guy barely left prison and he has already committed
another crime. Prisoners should not be released early at
all.

18. Standpoint:
Argument:
Bridging premise:
Critical questions:
•Is Y a representative example?
•Are there counterexamples?
X is true in general, because
X is true in specific case Y, and
if X is true in specific case Y, X is true in general
Argument from example

19. We really need to stop putting tons of chickens in tiny
chicken farms. According to the Green Party, viruses can
spread very quickly in those small spaces.

20. Standpoint:
Argument:
Bridging premise:
Critical questions:
•Did source S really say X?
•Is S a reliable and relevant authority in the domain of X?
•Are there other authorities in the domain of X who disagree with S?
X, because
source S said so, and
if S said X, X must be true
Argument from authority

22. Brilliantly done!
I thought the script was hilarious but also inspirational. One
moment I was laughing then the next tearing up.
The actors done such an amazing job! Ryan Gosling as Ken was
such a good choice he played it brilliantly.
My Daughter loved it and came away with the right message that
you shouldn’t have to fit in toany type of box that you should just
be you as that’s enough!
(Source: tinajenko-33312 via IMDb.com)

23. Brilliantly done!
I thought the script was hilarious but also
inspirational. One moment I was laughing then the
next tearing up.
The actors done such an amazing job! Ryan Gosling
as Ken was such a good choice he played it
brilliantly.
My Daughter loved it and came away with the right
message that you shouldn’t have to fit in toany type
of box that you should just be you as that’s enough!
(Source: tinajenko-33312 via IMDb.com)
How about the other
actors?
Did he?
Your daughter love it.
So what?
Is a movie brilliant if
your daughter gets
the message?
Does that really
mean the script
was that good?
Are there any reasons
to assume Barbie was
not a brilliant movie?

24. Source:
bbc
.
com

25. “It’s optimisedhealing,” says Karine Nissim, co-founder of
DayNew, an app that provides support for loss and other
traumatic life changes. “It’s essentially your therapist, your best
friend and your personal assistant in your pocket, helping you
see the whole journey and create one workflow for it.”
(Source: bbc.com)

26. “It’s optimisedhealing,” says Karine Nissim, co-
founder of DayNew, an app that provides support
for loss and other traumatic life changes. “It’s
essentially your therapist, your best friend and
your personal assistant in your pocket, helping
you see the whole journey and create one
workflow for it.”
(Source: bbc.com)
How is this
optimised?
Is an app really
similar toa
therapist?
Is an app similar
toa friend?
Should mourning follow a workflow?
Is it bad if it doesn’t? Isn’t the point
of mourning that it takes time?
How about
privacy?
Does it, and if
so, is that
beneficial?

27. Two types of criticism:
•On the content:
•Is it true?
•How do you know this?
•Do you have sources for this claim?
•On the justificatory force:
•Why is this relevant?
•Does the argument justify the claim?
•Are there any other reasons to not accept the claim
(counterarguments)?

28. Source: mareonline.nl

29. Source: mareonline.nl

30. Exercise critical questions
•Workingroupsof4.Splitupinto2teamsof2(Aand B)
•Bothteamspreparea2-minute speech (preparation time: 15 min.):
•Team A: “Smart cameras should be installed”
(perspective: University Services Department)
•Team B: “Smart cameras should not be installed”
(perspective: University Council)
•Round1:
•Team A delivers speech (2minutes)
•Team B asks critical questions and team A responds (8 minutes)
•Round 2:
•Team B delivers speech (2 minutes)
•Team A asks critical questions and team B responds (8 minutes)
•Afterwards:
•Discuss:whatwentwell,what could be improved? Was it hard to ask critical
questions?

31. For your individual Brightspace submission
•Find an example of a new technology that raises some
ethical/moral questions
•Brieflydescribethetechnology
•Outline the main arguments that are used to justify/promote the
technology
•Refertosource(s)
•Formulate some critical questions about this new technology
•Questionsabouttheargumentsthatareused(content/justificatory
force)
•Questions about issues that are not addressed
•Try to think from different perspectives (different stakeholders)