Page 80 - Smart Thinking: Skills for Critical Understanding and Writing, 2nd Ed

MORE EFFECTIVE REASONING I: BETTER CLAIMS 67

the argument. Hence, all of the next chapter, which discusses in detail the effective
construction of links between claims, is applicable to subsidiary arguments, such as
the one involving claims 5, 6, 7, and 8, as well as to main arguments, such as that
involving claims 2, 4, 5, and 1.

6 + 7 + 8

Y
2 + 4 + 5

Y
1

Exercise 5.4

For each of the following, write a brief argument (in analytical structure format)
that establishes the acceptability of these claims. In each case, remember that
the claims you use in support of the following conclusions should be more self-
evident than the conclusions themselves.

a. Communism has failed.
b. Television was introduced to Australia in 1956 .
c. Australia is a democracy.
d. We should legalise marijuana.
e. The two main political parties are the Liberal Party of Australia and the
Australian Labor Party.
f. A broken leg requires immediate medical treatment.

Review

Claims have certain key properties that we must understand if we are to be effec-
tive reasoners. The only way to achieve a level of control over our claims is to
make sure that, as we write each claim, we know—at some level—how we are
formulating each component properly. Yet we cannot ignore the contextual issues
relating to meaning and connotation that will affect others' judgments of how well
formed our claims appear to be. Making a well-founded claim involves, at the very
least, considering whether we believe it to be true (on the basis of whatever
evidence we have, or have seen or read) and then considering whether or not our