Successful Rogerian Arguments Always San Diego Me
Context: Have you ever found yourself sitting in front of the television or on your phone reading a news story and suddenly felt an urge to shout? What?! Maybe you’ve heard a friend or classmate make a remark about candidate X and how much they love them, before quietly excusing yourself from the room before your head explodes. Or maybe someone actually asks your opinion about an issue, then proceeds to tell you why they ‘get it,’ then forces you to listen to their enlightened opinion without giving you a chance to speak.
We live in a world of opinions and arguments it seems. The question is, with so many opinions floating around, how do we know who to believe, or more importantly, to decide what we believe. We all have issues that we have strong feelings about and that’s what I want to explore in your final essay. For your final assignment you will be arguing an issue that is important or relevant to your life in some significant way. We will be trying to follow the guide of our course materials, to move beyond our emotions to a place where mutual respect and reason reign supreme.
Directions: In this writing assignment you will be crafting an essay of Rogerian argument on a topic of your choice. Your topic must present an issue that is a subject of disagreement, that is, it is sufficiently complex for there to be a diversity of viewpoints.
As we have seen in your videos and lessons, you will be utilizing the Rogerian style of argumentation. Remember, this technique makes specific demands of you as a writer. This style is fundamentally different from what you have become accustomed to writing in your courses. Whatever subject you choose, make sure that you present a clear position on some contentious issue. Remember, if the issue isn’t at least somewhat controversial it is unlikely you will be able to develop a solid, or more importantly an interesting argument.
Feel free to write about a topic that is somehow connected to your major, or to your career goals in some way. As an example, a former Nursing student wrote her Rogerian argument on the ethics of using Hallucinogenic Mushrooms as a mood stimulator in people suffering from profound grief (like the loss of a loved one, or close friend, spouse.) It was fascinating to say the least…
You need two professional sources that must support the argument you are making and successful Rogerian arguments always address the opposition viewpoint as well. (usually at the beginning of the essay) Remember, simply dismissing or shouting down the opposition is an ineffective and lazy approach to success in argumentation, though it is certainly still the most popular. Your essay should be 4-6 pages in length.