to writing an argument of definition
• Finding a Topic
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You’re entering an argument of definition when you:
formulate a controversial or provocative definition: The American Dream, which once meant a McMansion in a gated community, now has taken on a new definition.
challenge a definition: For most Americans today, the American Dream involves not luxury but the secure pensions, cheap energy costs, and health insurance that workers in the 1950s and 1960s supposedly enjoyed.
try to determine whether something fits an existing definition: Expanding opportunity is (or is not) central to the American Dream.
seek to broaden an existing definition or create a new definition to accommodate wider or differing perspectives: In a world where information is easily and freely shared, it may be time to explore alternative understandings of the American Dream.
Look for issues of definition in your everyday affairs — for instance, in the way that jobs are classified at work, that key terms are used in your academic major, that politicians characterize social issues that concern you, and so on. Be especially alert to definitional arguments that may arise when you or others deploy adjectives such as true, real, actual, or genuine: a true patriot, real reform, authentic Mexican food.
• Researching Your Topic
You can research issues of definition by using the following sources:
college dictionaries and encyclopedias
unabridged dictionaries
specialized reference works and handbooks, such as legal and medical dictionaries
your textbooks (check their glossaries)
newsgroups and blogs that focus on particular topics, especially political ones
community or advocacy groups that are engaged in legal or social issues
social media postings by experts you respect
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Browse in your library reference room and use the electronic indexes and databases to determine how often disputed or contentious terms or phrases occur in influential online newspapers, journals, and Web sites.
When dealing with definitions, ask librarians about the most appropriate and reliable sources. For instance, to find the definition of a legal term, Black’s Law Dictionary or a database such as FindLaw may help. Check USA.gov for how the government defines terms.
• Formulating a Claim
After exploring your subject, try to formulate a thesis that lets readers know where you stand or what issues are at stake. Begin with the following types of questions:
questions related to genus: Is assisting in suicide a crime?
questions related to species: Is marijuana a harmful addictive drug or a useful medical treatment?
questions related to conditions: Must the imposition of sexual attention be both unwanted and unsolicited to be considered sexual harassment?
questions related to fulfillment of conditions: Has our college kept in place traditions or policies that might constitute racial discrimination?
questions related to membership in a named class: Can a story put together out of thirty-one retweets be called a novel, or even a short story?
If you start with a thesis, it should be a complete statement that makes a claim of definition and states the reasons supporting it. You may later decide to separate the claim from its supporting reasons. But a working thesis should be a fully articulated thought that spells out all the details and qualifications: Who? What? Where? When? How many? How regularly? How completely?
However, since arguments of definition are often exploratory and tentative, an initial thesis (if you have one) may simply describe problems in formulating a particular definition: What we mean by X is likely to remain unsettled until we can agree more fully about Y and Z; The key to understanding what constitutes X may lie in appreciating how different groups approach Y and Z.
• Examples of Definitional Claims
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Assisting a gravely ill person in committing suicide should not be considered murder when the motive for the act is to ease a person’s suffering and not to benefit from the death.
Although somewhat addictive, marijuana should not be classified as a dangerous drug because it damages individuals and society less than heroin or cocaine and because it helps people with life-threatening diseases live more comfortably.
Giving college admission preference to all racial minorities can be an example of class discrimination because such policies may favor middle-and upper-class students who are already advantaged.
Attempts to define the concept of freedom need to take into account the way the term is historically understood in cultures worldwide, not just in the countries of Western Europe and North America.
• Preparing a Proposal
If your instructor asks you to prepare a proposal for your project, here’s a format that may help:
State your thesis or hypothesis completely. If you’re having trouble doing so, try outlining it in Toulmin terms:
Claim:
Reason(s):
Warrant(s):
Alternatively, you might describe the complications of a definitional issue you hope to explore in your project, with the thesis perhaps coming later.
Explain why this argument of definition deserves attention. What’s at stake? Why is it important for your readers to consider?
Identify whom you hope to reach through your argument and why these readers would be interested in it. How might you involve them in the paper?
Briefly discuss the key challenges that you anticipate in preparing your argument.
Determine what sources you expect to consult: Web? Databases? Dictionaries? Encyclopedias? Periodicals?
Determine what visuals to include in your definitional argument.
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• Considering Format and Media
Your instructor may specify that you use a particular format and/or medium. If not, ask yourself these questions to help you make a good choice:
What format is most appropriate for your argument of definition? Does it call for an academic essay, a report, an infographic, a brochure, or something else?
What medium is most appropriate for your argument? Would it be best delivered orally to a live audience? Presented as an audio essay or podcast? Presented in print only or in print with illustrations?
Will you need visuals, such as moving or still images, maps, graphs, charts — and what function will they play in your argument? Make sure they are not just “added on” but are necessary components of the argument.
• Thinking about Organization
Your argument of definition is likely to include some of the following parts:
a claim involving a question of definition
a general definition of some key concept
a careful look at your subject in terms of that general definition
evidence for every part of the argument, including visual evidence if appropriate
a careful consideration of alternative views and counterarguments
a conclusion drawing out the implications of the argument
It’s impossible, however, to predict what emphasis each of those parts might receive or what the ultimate shape of an argument of definition will be. Try to account for the ways people with different points of view will likely respond to your argument. Then, consider how to address such differences civilly in the body of your argument.
• Getting and Giving Response: Questions for Peer Response
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Your instructor may assign you to a group for the purpose of reading and responding to each other’s drafts. If not, ask for responses from serious readers or consultants at a writing center. Use the following questions to evaluate a colleague’s draft. Be sure to illustrate your comments with examples; specific comments help more than general observations.
The Claim
Is the claim clearly an issue of definition?
Is the claim significant enough to interest readers?
Are clear and specific criteria established for the concept being defined? Do the criteria define the term adequately? Using this definition, could most readers identify what’s being defined and distinguish it from other related concepts?
Evidence for the Claim
Is enough evidence furnished to explain or support the definition? If not, what kind of additional evidence is needed?
Is the evidence in support of the claim simply announced, or are its significance and appropriateness analyzed? Is a more detailed discussion needed?
Are all the conditions of the definition met in the concept being examined?
Are any objections readers might have to the claim, criteria, evidence, or way the definition is formulated adequately addressed? Have you represented other points of view completely and fairly?
What kinds of sources are cited? How credible and persuasive will they be to readers? What other kinds of sources might work better?
Are all quotations introduced with appropriate signal phrases (such as “As Tyson argues, . . .”) and blended smoothly into the writer’s sentences?
Are all visual sources labeled, introduced, and commented upon?
Organization and Style
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How are the parts of the argument organized? Is this organization effective?
Will readers understand the relationships among the claims, supporting reasons, warrants, and evidence? If not, how might those connections be clearer? Is the function of every visual clear? Are more transitions needed? Would headings or graphic devices help?
Are the transitions or links from point to point, sentence to sentence, and paragraph to paragraph clear and effective? If not, how could they be improved?
Are all visuals (or other elements such as audio or video clips) carefully integrated into the text? Is each visual introduced and commented on to point out its significance? Is each visual labeled as a figure or a table and given a caption as well as a citation?
Is the style suited to the subject? Is it too formal, casual, or technical? Can it be improved?
Which sentences seem effective? Which ones seem weaker, and how could they be improved? Should short sentences be combined, and any longer ones be broken up?
How effective are the paragraphs? Too short or too long? How can they be improved?
Which words or phrases seem effective? Do any seem vague or inappropriate for the audience or the writer’s purpose? Are technical or unfamiliar terms defined?
Spelling, Punctuation, Mechanics, Documentation, and Format