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Cassandra Alviz
Mr. Moberly
WRI 10-02
March 2014
Reading Response FCT: Ch.8
In chapter eight from their book, From Critical Thinking to Argument, authors Sylvan
Barnet and Hugo Bedau discuss The Toulmin Model. Barnet and Bedau develop this discussion
by breaking the model into parts and providing examples for each part. Barnet and Bedaus
purpose is to thoroughly explain the model in order to make it easier to create and find
arguments within writings. Barnet and Bedau use an informative tone with students and writers.
1. I really enjoyed The Claim section of this chapter. Although it was short, it made a
lasting impression of how important the claim is. It opened my eyes to the fact that
without a claim there is nothing to argue, nothing to defend or support. There would be
no point of writing without a claim.
2. In the Backing section of this chapter it states, The next task, however, is to be able to
show that we can back up what we have claimed by showing that the reasons we have
given for a claim are good reasons. This quote was one that I had to read over and over
again. It blew my mind. When I think of having to persuade someone or trying to prove
my point, it never comes to mind to have to back up my reasoning for the topic at hand. It
is like supporting your support. It kind of makes me laugh when I think about it; to have
that much back up.
3. In the Rebuttals section, I found Edmund Burkes quote to be a very interesting way to
look at rebuttals. He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves, and sharpens our skill.
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Our antagonist is our helper. When I have written argumentative essays in the past, the
counterargument (the rebuttal) was something that crossed my mind, but I never really
would go into depth about how the reader would react or think. I think this is a very good
way to make a claim stronger.
Barnet and Bedau begin this chapter with explaining the similarities of deduction and
induction, which is to have a thesis and at least one supporting reason. They then speak of
establishing a strong claim and they provide claim examples on the topic of equal rights for
women. They then focus their attention on grounds (evidence, reason, support). Barnet and
Bedau give written examples to show that not every piece of evidence is strong enough to
support a claim. Next, they speak of warrants, which are an explanation of how grounds
support a claim. In this section, they speak of ways to warrant for both deductive and inductive
arguments. After, they explain the importance of backing and how an argument is only as good
as its backing. In the next section, Modal Qualifiers Barnet and Bedau explain that paying
attention to character and scope will make for a stronger argument. Next, they speak of rebuttals
how looking through another persons perspective can help strengthen an argument. Rebuttals do
so by allowing the writer to understand where their antagonist is coming from.
This chapter is a form of written text. Barnet and Bedau write to students and writers in order
for them to understand how to create strong arguments and how to find them in texts.
This reading was very informative. I learned a lot from each section (such as explained in
aspects I found interesting). It was not a reading that I felt very involved with or attached to. It
did not make me feel any way. But the examples Barnet and Bedau provided in each section
were very helpful in understanding their explanations. There was one section that I feel I did not
understand completely. That section is the Warrants section. I am not positive the point they
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were trying to explain or get across to their readers. It did not make a lot of sense to me. Overall,
this chapter will be very helpful when writing essays in the future.