The Anatomy of An Argument

“A mature society understands that at the heart of democracy is argument.”

-Salman Rushdie, October 2012

Introduction

Welcome to The Anatomy of an Argument , the first course in the BRI’s online program, Teaching Logic and Reasoning!

We have established the essential role of dialogue and argumentation in a democratic society. Innovation and the development of solutions requires interaction, conflict, and reasoned argument.

This course provides the foundations of argumentation. What is the structure of a good argument? What should we expect from others and how should we formulate our own reasoned arguments? The resources in this module will provide an opportunity to define reasoned arguments and identify the parts of an argument before exploring how this works in civic life and in your classroom.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain the parts and structures of a logical argument.
  
• Analyze parts and structors of sample arguments.
  
• Analyze applications of argumentation in civic life and the classroom.
• Reflect on your role in supporting logical argumentation in civic life and the classroom.
  
• Evaluate arguments in civic dialogue.