Earlier this week, I mentioned I'd be organizing what I write into different serializations, or "tracks:" today I'm going to introduce a track on argumentation. I'll be discussing how to use argumentation to not only your advantage: not necessarily to win arguments, but to find out what the best possible answer is to a problem.
What is an argument?
Most people consider an argument to be two people shouting at each other, getting angrier and angrier as time progresses. I'm going to talk about a different kind of argument: one that I hope would be more palatable to more people.
An argument is a position and a justification for that position. I think scones are the best baked good. I believe this to be true because they're dry but not too dry, you can stick various delicious things in them, and they go well with a hot beverage. That's is an argument. You may have a competing position about the superlative nature of scones: that's fine. You also probably have a good reason for believing so. That's fine also: you have a competing argument.
With me so far?
