January 19

Thonney, Chapter 3: Reading Academic Arguments

Kathleen Richardson: “Technological Animism: The Uncanny Personhood of
Humanoid Machines”
Today’s class

• Review concepts from Thonney

• Discuss Richardson article
• Discuss connections between Richardson and Fox
Thonney Ch. 3: Key terms

• Academic argument: Written document that develops a central claim(s) with

evidence.
• Thesis statement: The main claim a writer develops and supports in a text.
• Critical reading: Reading with a skeptical mindset by evaluating, assessing, or
judging the merits of the writer’s claims and evidence.
• Quantitative: Systematic and methodical. Relies on numbers and statistics and
typically involves using samples and larger groups.
• Qualitative: Evidence that focuses on testimonials, anecdotes, analogies, and
expert opinions. Tends to focus on specific individuals.
Making and Identifying Claims

• The central claim in an academic argument can be

• Statement of belief
• Interpretation
• Fact
• Any statement that can be illustrated, explained, or defended.

• The intended audience influences the claims, evidence, and vocabulary found in an
academic argument.
• Relies on appeals to pathos, ethos, and logos.
Types of claims
• Observation: summarize what the writer has learned through reading, observation, or
research.
• “Various factors [in the published research] relate to the accuracy of eyewitness identification. The
factors include…”

• Interpretation of Evidence or Research: interpret what the writer has studied or observed.
• “I will argue that women writers produced some of the nineteenth century’s most intellectually
serious, politically radical, and artistically innovative prose.”

• Opinion or Value: express an opinion or judgment of worth

• “I argue that how journalists now cover elections has helped fuel the rise of attack politics in
presidential campaigns.”

• Call for Action: state the writer’s opinion and call on readers to take action.
• “Major investment in our infrastructure is essential if the United States is to maintain our way of
life and our leading position in the global economy.”
Pathos

• Academic writers appeal to readers

emotions using
• Imagery
• Figurative language
• Images
• Shared backgrounds and
experiences
Ethos
• Academic writers create a favorable
persona by
• Stating their qualifications
• Showing concern for others
• Acknowledging other viewpoints
• Establishing the credibility of their
sources
• Using a professional tone and
writing style
Logos

• Academic writers appeal to reason

by citing
• quantitative evidence such as survey
and study results
• qualitative evidence such as
testimonials, anecdotes, analogies,
and expert opinions
 Richardson’s article
• Who is the intended audience? How can you tell?
• Does the writer’s style fit the intended audience?
• What is Richardson’s main claim? How would you categorize her claim based
on the types of claims just discussed?
• What type of evidence does Richardson provide to support her claims?
• Does Richardson use appeals to logos, pathos, or ethos? If so, where and how
effective are they?
Identifying the Conversation
• What did you learn about artificial intelligence and robotics from reading these
two articles?
• How would you describe each author’s attitude towards developing artificial
intelligence and/or robots?
• Which article was more effective in presenting its claims about this topic? Why?
• If you were asked to add a third academic article to this conversation, what
would you look for in that article?
 For Monday
• Read Dietterich and Horovitz, “Rise of
Concerns about AI: Reflections and
Directions”
• Read Room for Debate: “Is Artificial
Intelligence Taking Over Our Lives?”
• Kasparaov: Chess champion
• Bennett: Original voice of Siri
• Ito: MIT Media lab
• Okorafor: Science Fiction author
• Harbisson: Artist and cyborg activist
• Popcorn: Strategic consultant
• Mei: founder of AHALife marketplace
• Homework:
• Complete the homework
assignment that is available via the
course website titled “January 22:
Popular Media and Artificial
Intelligence”
• Be sure to create a Word document
and type up your responses to the
questions and prompts.
• Submit your document by the start
of class on Monday, January 22.
• Be prepared to discuss what you
have written and how it
compares/contrasts to the academic
articles we have read.