The Difference Between An Argument And An Opinion

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  • May 10, 2011 4:42 am at 4:42 am #596801
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Edited. A closed thread is a closed thread.

    As a professor of mine told us this past semester:

    An argument is an assertion together with evidence.

    An assertion without evidence is just an opinion.

    Evidence without an assertion is simply a summary.

    On these boards, if you want to make a point, you have to make an argument. This means that you have to have evidence to back up your point. Simply stating “I know…” is not an argument. Stating “It changed but I don’t know how…” is not an argument.

    So, please, learn the difference between an argument and an opinion. Use the former when trying to prove your point. Use the latter only when asked for an opinion (or at least identify it as an opinion and not as an argument).

    The Wolf

    May 10, 2011 1:10 pm at 1:10 pm #765458
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    Wolf,

    Great post. I have one point to make though; nobody HAS to do anything. It’s a free forum (subject to moderation) and one is entitled to state an opinion without backing it up. For the intelligent reader, with whom you, an intelligent poster, should be concerned, the unsubstantiated opinion means little.

    This is my opinion. 🙂

    This is my opinion as well. No one here is limited to some ill-defined official Rules of Argumentation. This is a DISCUSSION forum.

    May 10, 2011 1:37 pm at 1:37 pm #765461
    popa_bar_abba
    Participant

    As a professor of mine told us this past semester

    Wolf, have you told us you are in school? What for?

    May 10, 2011 1:45 pm at 1:45 pm #765462
    oomis
    Participant

    “As a professor of mine told us this past semester

    Wolf, have you told us you are in school? What for?”

    Yep, I noticed that, too.

    May 10, 2011 2:30 pm at 2:30 pm #765463
    ursula momish
    Member

    Yesterday, Wolf posted in a now-closed thread: “I work AND go to school. And I raise kids, and do lots of other things too.”

    May 10, 2011 3:05 pm at 3:05 pm #765464
    yid.period
    Member

    While true, this is a “discussion” forum and everyone can basically do what they want, I commend Wolf for pointing this out. Hopefully, people will follow this practice and we’ll see an increase in the level of intelligence and meaningfulness in the discussions and conversations that take place. And G-d willing, there will be an end to the all too common usage of gross generalizations and blanket statements by posters who never met anybody who didn’t think exactly like them.

    May 10, 2011 3:30 pm at 3:30 pm #765465
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    This is my opinion as well. No one here is limited to some ill-defined official Rules of Argumentation. This is a DISCUSSION forum.

    Fair enough. My intention wasn’t to set down some set of rules that people must adhere to. It was more along the lines of a suggestion if you want to be taken seriously in an argument. Someone who simply repeats an assertion without providing evidence is simply not going to be taken seriously.

    My apologies if anyone thought I was decreeing an edict.

    The Wolf

    May 10, 2011 3:31 pm at 3:31 pm #765466
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Edited. A closed thread is a closed thread.

    You know, that’s why I purposely kept the content of what the discussion was about off of this thread.

    The Wolf

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