Produced by Scott Pfenninger, Charles Franks
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
Assistant Professor of English and Rhetoricin The Pennsylvania State College
Preface
The author's aim has been to produce a book that is practical,—practical from the student's standpoint, and practical from theteacher's standpoint. The study of Argumentation has often beencriticized for being purely academic, or for being a mere stepping-stone to the study of law. It has even been said that courses inArgumentation and Debate have been introduced into American collegesand universities for no other purpose than to give the intellectualstudent the opportunity, so long monopolized by his athleticclassmate, to take part in intercollegiate contests. The purpose ofthis book is to teach Argumentation, which is not a science by itselfbut one of the four branches of Rhetoric, in such a way as to removethese criticisms.
Largely by his choice of illustrative material the author hasendeavored to show that this subject is confined neither to the classroom nor to any one profession. He has drawn his illustrations, forthe most part, from contemporary and popular sources; he has hadrecourse to many current magazines, newspapers, books, and recentspeeches, hoping to show thereby that Argumentation is a practicalsubject. On the other hand, he has carefully avoided taking a majorityof his illustrations either from students' work or from legalpractice, criminal cases especially being seldom used on the groundthat although they afford the easiest examples a writer can give, theyfurnish the least help to the average student, who, unless he studieslaw, will rarely, perhaps never, have occasion to argue upon suchsubjects.
This book cannot justly be called the effort of a single author. It israther an outgrowth of the work that for many years has been carriedon by the English department at The Pennsylvania State College. Thebook has, in fact, gradually developed in the class room. Every rulethat is given has been tested time and again; every step has beencarefully thought out and taught for several years.
The author wishes to acknowledge especial indebtedness to ProfessorFred Lewis Pattee, who both inspired the writing of the book andassisted in the work. To Professor A. Howry Espenshade are due manythanks for invaluable suggestions and advice, and for a carefulreading of the greater part of the manuscript. Mr. William S. Dye isalso to be thanked for valuable assistance. As a student the authorstudied Baker's Principles of Argumentation; as a teacher hehas taught Laycock and Scales' Argumentation and Debate,Alden's The Art of Debate, and Foster's Argumentation andDebating. The debt he owes to these is beyond estimate.
STATE COLLEGE, PA. March 17, 1909
Contents
I. Preliminaries
II. The Subject
III. The Introduction—Persuasion
IV. The Introduction—Conviction
V. The Introduction—Brief-Drawing
VI. The Discussion—Conviction and Persuasion
VII. The Discussion—Brief-Drawing
VIII. Methods of Refutation
IX. Debate—Some Practical Suggestions
X. The Conclusion