Philosophy

Pierce College

Department of History, Philosophy, & Sociology

Writing Group Exercise on Arguments

(Notes on the importance of group exercises.) 

Group Work Summary: In groups discuss your individual essay's argument, focusing in on an objection to either your thesis or your support for your thesis. 

Step 1 (five or so minutes): Individually, write your argument on a piece of paper.  As best you can, distinguish your argument's conclusion (your thesis) from your premise (what you use to support your thesis).  

Step 2 (ten or so minutes):  In groups, discuss your individual arguments, in turn. The point here is to get everyone in your group ready for the task of crafting objections. 

Step 3 (ten or so minutes): In the same groups, gently offer your colleagues, in turn, possible objections to either their theses or their support for their theses. 

Step 4 (one minute): In the same groups, put today's date, your group member's names, and "Naysayer/Objections Group Exercise" on a sheet of paper.   

    If you find yourself done with early, please come up with a question or two (e.g., one question about the reading for this essay, and one about the essay itself) for me to answer in front of the whole class. 

Step 5 (ten or so minutes):  In your original (pre-group) seats, we collectively discuss the fruits of our labor.  Did you change your argument?  Did you abandon your argument?  Did you strengthen your argument?