The theory and practice of argumentation and debate

by Victor Alvin Ketcham

An example of the proper introduction of refutation in a constructive argument is shown in the speech of Roscoe Conkling delivered at the Republican Convention in Chicago in 1880, in which he nominated Ulysses S. Grant for President of the United States. The chief objection to Grant’s candidacy was that he had already served two terms as President. The precedent, set by Washington, that no man should serve more than two terms as President, had always been followed and had become one of the well established political customs of the country. Here was certainly a strong objection to the constructive argument of the speaker. Therefore the refutation is introduced where the speaker attempts to show that Grant’s character as a man and his great services to his country entitle him to the presidency. In brief form a statement of the refutation would be as follows:

A. Refutation. The argument that Grant should not be nominated because he has already served two terms as President is unsound, for

1. It is absurd to say that because we have tried Grant twice and found him faithful we ought not to trust him again.

Refutation should always be introduced in the manner which the above illustration indicates. First the series of symbols under which it should come should be determined; then the word Refutation should be placed opposite that symbol, followed by the formal statement that “The argument that ... is unsound, for.” For a further illustration of the manner in which refutation ought to appear the student should consult the completed brief at the end of this chapter.

8. The conclusion should be a summary of the main arguments just as they stand in the proof of the brief, and should close with an affirmation or denial of the proposition in the exact words in which it is phrased.

A conclusion must be forcible and to the point. It should review the main issues and show at a glance their relation to the proposition. The conclusion to the brief given at the end of this chapter is a good example of the form in which a conclusion should be stated.

SUMMARY OF THE RULES FOR CONSTRUCTING THE BRIEF

1. A brief should be constructed in three parts: Introduction, Proof, and Conclusion.

2. Each statement in a brief should be a single complete sentence.

3. The relation which the different statements in a brief bear to each other should be indicated by symbols and indentations.