non-argument does not infer and was not intended to
An argument claims to prove something. A non-inferential passage does not. The statements in a non-inferential passage do not and are not intended to have an inferential relationship. They are intended to inform, but not prove. For example: in my opinion, music lyrics are poetry.
Goals
- Explain what makes a passage non-inferential
- Distinguish varieties of non-argument, such as advice, instruction, and opinion
- Identify missing element that turn a non-inferential passage into an argument
Conditional
Advice
Advice makes a recommendation about a future decision or course of conduct.
- Before purchasing a puppy, visit the breeder. Ask to see the mother, and be suspicious if you are not allowed to do so. Never purchase from a chain store; that encourages puppy mills.
- Hanging a balloon or paper bag will make wasps go elsewhere since they are territorial.
Advice is guidance or recommendation concerning prudent future action.
- Advice is opinion about what could or should be done about a situation or problem; counsel, recommendation, suggestion or warning.
- It is typically given by someone regarded as knowledgeable or authoritative.
Belief
An opinion or belief is an expression of what someone happens to think or believe.
- We believe that our company must produce products that fulfill a need for our customers, that our business must be run at an adequate profit, and that the services and products we offer must be better than those offered by competitors.
- In my judgement, our country must help other nations overthrow oppression by offering economic and financial aid, rather than military intervention so that they can work out their own destinies in their own way.
An opinion or belief is held with confidence, but not substantiated with proof.
- An opinion express a point of view, personal judgment, or matter of taste.
- A belief is an assumption made about ourselves, about others, about how we think things really are, or about how we expect things to be.
Hypothetical
A hypothetical statement asserts an antecedent and its consequent, but not that they are true.
- If you switch on the grill, I will start mixing the pancake batter.
- A solid closed container will weigh less if air is removed from it.
Warning
A warning brings to someone’s attention the possibility of a problem or unpleasant situation.
- You can lose traction on sand or gravel, so exercise caution when passing on the shoulder.
- Shut the door, you fool! It is freezing in here!
Wish
A wish expresses the feeling of hope or desire for something to happen or to be true.
- It would be wonderful if the lottery ticket won so we can all retire early.
- The donut franchise is bound to succeed and you’ll will be eating up the profits.
What do you think?
- Is a warning a type of advice to beware, like ‘do this or risk injury’ — and if so, does that amount to a definition or an illustration?
- “Shut the door, it’s cold out there.” What part does tone play in deciding the type of non-argument?
Categorical
Definition
A definition describes the category to which something belongs and its distinctive features.
- A triangle is a type of figure [its closest category] that is two-dimensional and has three straight sides [two features that distinguish it from other figures].
- Legally blind: a measure of vision less than 20/200 or less than 20 degrees diameter (10 degrees radius) and that cannot be improved with corrective lenses.
A definition is a description that identifies the closest category to which something belongs and the features that distinguish it from other members of that category.
- “Bachelor: a male who is unmarried” is too inclusive. A baby boy is not really a bachelor.
- Rhubarb pie is a dessert. Therefore, whoever eats rhubarb pie eats a dessert. [No fallacy, a tautology by definition.]
A definition must not be circular.
- Circular: hill, land lower than a mountain; mountain, land higher than a hill.
- State the definition in positive terms if possible, but sometimes negative terms are unavoidable, such as in defining “bald” or “darkness” or “silence.”
Explanation
An explanation is an account intended to clarify why something happened or is a certain way.
- The sky appears blue from the earth’s surface because light rays from the sun are scattered by particles in the atmosphere.
- Without regular maintenance, a crack in the brake line went undetected. The fluid leaked out and this awful auto accident ensued.
An argument proves that something occurred or that it is a certain way. An explanation clarifies why or something occurred or why it is a certain way.
- Cows can digest grass, while humans cannot, because their digestive systems contain enzymes not found in humans.
- Women tend to have higher pitched voices than men because they have shorter vocal cords. Shorter vocal cords vibrate at a higher frequency than longer cords.
Expository
An expository passage explains by expanding or elaborating upon a main point.
- There are three familiar states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Solid objects ordinarily maintain their shape and volume regardless of their location. A liquid occupies a definite volume but assumes the shape of the occupied portion of its container. A gas maintains neither shape nor volume. It expands to fill completely whatever container it is in.
- The pace of reading depends on the reader. One may stop and reread it or go in search of elucidation before continuing. The reader can accelerate the pace when the material is easy or less than interesting and can slow down when it is difficult or enthralling. If the content is moving one can put down the book for a moment to reflect without fear of losing anything.
An expository passage develops a topic sentence.
- Other sentences in the passage expand or elaborate upon the topic sentence.
- If the other sentences attempt to prove the topic sentence, however, then the passage is argumentative and not classified as expository.
Illustration
An illustration is an example serving to clarify (but not prove) a point.
- Whenever a force is exerted on an object, the shape of the object can change. For example, when you squeeze a rubber ball or drop your sleepy head on a feather pillow, the ball and pillow are deformed to some extent.
- Water is a good solvent for many different substances, and it picks them up as it moves through the environment. Thus, rain water flowing over and under the ground dissolves minerals such as limestone.
Instruction
An instruction directs behaviour based on authority (command) or respect (request).
- You’re hired and are to report to work on Monday at 8 AM in the Port Spindrift office.
- Do not, under any circumstances, press the red button.
By comparison, a suggestion is an idea or plan put forward for consideration and not directive.
- Cornmeal under the pizza helps prevent the dough from sticking to the pan.
- Either route will get you there on time, but the country path is more scenic.
Report
A report is a group of statements that convey information about some topic or event.
- A powerful bomb blew up outside the regional headquarters, injuring several people and causing extensive damage to nearby buildings. A police statement said the bomb was packed into a spare tire in the back of a stolen car.
- Haydn developed the string quartet from the eighteenth-century divertimento, giving more substance to the light, popular form, and scoring it for two violins, a viola, and a cello. His eighty-three quartets, written over the course of his creative lifetime, evolved slowly into a sophisticated form and constitute one of the most important bodies of chamber music literature. // No fallacy, Report.
A report is an account that describes what one has done, seen, observed, or investigated.
- Such information could be used in or as the premises of an argument.
- The author makes no claim that they support or imply anything, so there is no argument.
What do you think?
- “It is usually easy to decide whether or not something is alive. This is because living things share many common characteristics, such as the capacity to extract energy from nutrients to drive their various functions, the power to actively respond to changes in the environment, and the ability to grow, to differentiate, and to reproduce.” Argument or explanation?
- If you would decide whether an argument is effective or defective, first decide whether it is an argument. How does this statement refer to the non-arguments in this topic?