What does the word argument mean to you? If you’re like most people, the first image it conjures up might be an ugly fight you had with a friend, a yelling match you witnessed on the street, or a heated disagreement between family members. True, such unpleasant confrontations are arguments, but the word also refers to a calm, reasoned effort to persuade someone of the value of an idea.
When New Knowledge and Old Beliefs Collide
Are you having conversations in class or with your friends about topics or ideas that go against what you have been taught? Do you feel anxious that these new ideas don’t align with what your family has taught you? Ideas presented by college instructors are almost always supported by evidence and research, much of which is derived from data and cutting-edge technology. It is important to keep an open mind, even if it makes you uncomfortable. Develop a relationship with a mentor or colleague who can help you process some of the more sensitive information you hear.
When you think of it this way, you’ll quickly recognize that arguments are central to academic study, work, and life in general. Scholarly articles, business memos, and requests for spending money all have something in common: The effective ones make a general claim, provide reasons to support it, and back up those reasons with evidence. That’s what argument is.
It’s important to consider multiple points of view, or arguments, in tackling new ideas and complex questions, but arguments are not all equally valid. Good critical thinking involves analyzing assumptions that might have been omitted and scrutinizing the quality of the evidence used to support a claim. Whether examining an argument or making one, a good critical thinker is careful to ensure that ideas are presented in an understandable, logical way.