The document discusses understanding claims in arguments. It defines a claim as a statement for or against the status quo that is the focus of an argument. There are three types of claims: claims of fact, value, and policy. The document explains how to explain a claim simply, identifies the three parts of an argument, and discusses the roles and responsibilities of each side in an argument. It notes the importance of understanding claims to stay focused on the argument and not be taken advantage of by others reversing burdens of proof.

1. Hannah Dannelly
Understanding the Claim

2. Introduction
 Knowing the claim allows you to stay
focus on the argument.
 Understand the tactic of "reversing the
burdens" of an argument so you won't be
taken advantage of by others.
 Using your position on the claim to
understand your specific roles and
responsibilities in an argument.

3. Terms
 A claim is a statement worded against the status
quo that is the focus of an argument.
 Claim of fact - something is, was, or will be
 Claim of value - something is good or bad,
desirable or undesirable.
 Claim of Policy - something should or ought be
done
 An Argument is a logical, highly developed
statement or statements offering supports for a
claim.

4. Explain a claim to a 10 yr old
 A great exercise for understanding a claim
is trying to explain a claim situation to a
10 year old.
 I find when I do not understand
something it is much easier to understand
when you ask for a simpler explanation
than you have been given.
 There fore trying to describe a claim to a
10 year old will give you an even better
understanding than you had at first.

5. Argument Overview
 What is Argumentation? It is persuasion.
- An Argument is a logical, highly
developed statement or statements
offering supports for a claim.
 3 parts
◦ The claim
◦ The Support
◦ The warrant

6. Sides of an Argument
 An argument is based on a statement, the claim.
You either agree with the statement or disagree
with the statement.
 You either agree or disagree with the claim.
 The side agreeing with the claim and therefore
advocating a change in the status quo is known
as the affirmative side.
 while the side disagreeing with the claim and
therefore supporting the status quo is known as
the negative side.

7. Winning an Argument
 First and Foremost pick your battles.
 Make claims so outrageous that your
opponent will be sputtering in disbelief
rather than refuting your claims.
 Make them prove their point beyond any
possible doubt.
 Later if you lost the argument, say you
won!

8. Henrietta Lacks
 This is a really "eye opening" story of a young, married and
very poor African American woman who goes to Johns
Hopkins hospital in the late 40's to receive treatment for
her cancer.
 “The family of Henrietta Lacks should be awarded
financial compensation for the use of her cells.“
Answer whether the claim that the family of Henrietta
Lacks should be awarded financial compensation for the
use of her cells is or is not is in the correct favor.

9. Understanding the Claim Quiz
 The three types of claims are: fact, value, policy
 Which type of claim is the following? "Speech
104 is the greatest course offered at Valley
College.“ : Claim of value
 The obligation to respond to another's argument
is called: the burden of rebuttal
 Since we presume the status quo to be correct,
the Burden of Presumption goes first. : False
 Political debate emphasizes policy claims. : True

10. What have we learned?
 There are 3 types of claims.
Fact - something is, was, or will be
Value - something is good or bad
Policy - something should or should not be done
A claim is always a statement
The wording of the claim does not change no matter if you are for or against it.
 Each person in an argument has distinct
responsibilities in an argument known as burdens.
Burden of Proof - providing "good and sufficient" reasons to accept the claim.
Burden of Presumption - providing reasons to maintain the status quo, reject the
claim.
Burden of Rebuttal - the obligation of both sides to respond to each other. Remember,
silence equal consent, in other words, you agree with the previous argument.
 Reversing the Burdens
This occurs when the person who should have the Burden of
Proof gives it to the person who should have the Burden of
Presumption. Besides this occurring in sales, think about
talk radio.