We’ve all been embroiled in an argument at least once in our lives or at least been witness to one, anything from what should be included in a national health care plan to who should get voted off the island. A good argument is an effective argument, and an important element of effective argument is refutation.
The refutation is the portion of the essay where the reader brings up his opponent’s views and explains why they are wrong. This concept can most easily be seen in a conversation with a child because a child never lets anyone get away with just making a statement; it is always followed by that often frustrating question: “why?” or variations thereof.
“Because otherwise Santa won’t come,” the father responds. That’s a good reason; the kid is sure to go to sleep now.
Veteran parents know better. “Why?” the child queries.
Eventually, many parents get to the “because I said so” or “because that’s how it is” stage, but even then, kids are likely to withhold full belief if there is an element left unexplained, such as how Santa gets down the chimney if he’s so fat, how he gets in the house if all the doors are locked or if there is no chimney, or how he knows where they are if they are on vacation or at Grandma’s house. “Magic” is not a very satisfying answer to some children.
Like the child waiting for a parent to adequately address the chimney issue, a reader will be unconvinced of a writer’s overall argument if particular areas are not covered. In verbal arguments, people rather automatically include a refutation, but we tend to leave them out in written communication since we don’t have that immediate feedback with the other party.
a. It had innovated special effects like the slime mutation scene.
b. It had a cast of award-winning actors like A, B and C.
c. It had a unique story that had a believable plot (such as X and Y) and an ending nobody saw coming.
My Opponent’s Major Point(s): Some people say that Slime Wars can’t possibly be the best movie of the year since twice as many people saw Huggaboo Bears, and better movies always get bigger audiences.
Refutation: However, attendance is not the same thing as appreciation. According to the poll cited below, only 12% of the people who saw Huggaboo Bears liked it while over 98% of those who viewed Slime Wars said it was a great movie. This point can also be proven historically, since This is a Great Movie set attendance records but has only a 1.2 rating on the IMDB.
2. Argument: Potatoes are people.
a. They both have eyes.
b. They both are living organisms that grow.
c. They both have skin.
My Opponent’s Major Point(s): Opponents to this theory claim that regular people are capable of conscious thought and have brains and other major organs.
Refutation: The refutation here would have to prove that these issues are not part of being “people” or that potatoes actually do contain some sort of analogous components.
Ok, since there is no refutation here, this isn’t a very good argument.
When planning the points a writer wants to make in an argument, the refutation should be considered for this very reason. A weak or non-existent refutation makes for a weak argument.
And that brings us back to Santa. There is a reason so many Santa conversations end with “time to go to sleep now” or “you’ll have to ask your dad.” And they are the same reasons that many of us lose our faith in Santa in early elementary school. Good refutations create converts; bad ones enhance already held beliefs. Who is an argument written for?
