Argumentation Skills
Argumentation skills refer to the proficiency in framing, demonstrating, and judging arguments accurately. They are the main part of critical thinking, persuading, and engaging in formal dialogue both at work and in personal life.
Argumentation is effective with the inclusion of different major parts: the overall claim that is unambiguous, the backing evidence, the logic that pertains and strengthens the connection between the clues and the overall claim, and the deliberation on counterarguments. For instance, during a discussion on climate change, one may assert that immediate action is crucial, citing statistics from various scientific studies, and subsequently acknowledge possible counterarguments regarding the economic sector's performance.
The main focus on the argumentation skills is to hone through practice and feedback. Engaging in discussions, participating in debates and studying logical fallacies can considerably improve your ability to establish convincing arguments. A good example could be signing up for a debate club which is a way to practice and polish these skills often.
Emotional approach or pathos, in fact, is a key tool in argumentation because it has the ability to create a personal link with the audience, thus, arguments become more relatable and persuasive. For instance, a speaker who is dealing with the topic of homelessness could present his personal story to evoke empathy and inspire action from the audience.
Detection of fallacies in arguments is based on the use of critical listening and detailed analysis to find the logical inconsistencies or misleading reasoning. Typical fallacies include the use of ad hominem attacks and straw man arguments. As an illustration, let us say that instead of directly response to the criticism regarding a specific policy, a participant in the debate personally vilifies the other side; that is an ad hominem fallacy.