You will probably find that your own arguments will serve several different purposes, from winning to changing minds to understanding options to finding common ground.

Argument to win

The most traditional purpose of academic argument, arguing to win, is used in campus debating societies, in political debates, in trials, and often in business. The writer or speaker aims to present a position that prevails over or defeats the positions of others. Presidential debates and trials, for example, focus most often not on changing the opponent’s mind but on defeating him or her to appeal to someone else—the voting public, the judge, and so on.

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Argument to convince

More often than not, out-and-out defeat of another is not only unrealistic but also undesirable. Rather, the goal is to convince other persons that they should change their minds about an issue. When you argue to convince someone, you must provide reasons so compelling that the audience willingly agrees with your conclusion.

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Argument to understand

Argument to understand does not seek to conquer or control others or even to convince them. Your purpose in many situations—from trying to decide which job to pursue to exploring with your family the best way to care for an elderly relative—will be to share information and perspectives in order to make informed political, professional, and personal choices. Rogerian argument, named after psychologist Carl Rogers, seeks to find common ground and establish trust among those who disagree about issues. Invitational argument, described by researchers Sonja Foss and Cindy Griffin, invites others to join in mutual exploration based on careful listening and respect. Rogerian and invitational forms of argument both call for understanding as a major goal of arguing.

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Argument to change yourself

Sometimes you will find yourself arguing primarily with yourself, and those arguments often take the form of intense meditations on a theme, or even of prayer. In such cases, you may be hoping to transform something in yourself or to reach peace of mind on a troubling subject. If you know a familiar mantra or prayer, for example, think of what it “argues” for and how it uses quiet meditation to help achieve that goal.

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Talking the Talk: Arguments