Assignment
150+ words for each question and references.
1) In the argument chapter, you learned about expressed arguments (overt arguments attempting to persuade the audience towards a point of view) and implied arguments (arguments that appear on the surface not to be arguments but actually seek to persuade the audience of a point of view or views). For this DQ, provide a specific example from the media of an expressed argument and an implied argument and answer the following questions:
• What is the expressed argument you identified? What specific argument does the author make? What evidence does the author use to support his or her claims?
• What is the implied argument you identified? What specific argument does the author make? What evidence does the author use to support his or her claims?
• Why is it important to understand expressed and implied arguments?
• How might you use your understanding of expressed and implied arguments when drafting your first essay in this course?
Note: You may use visual arguments such as photos and pictures, but you will still need to explain your rationale for why you believe the author is making a specific argument.
Be sure to cite all sources used to compose your answer. Format your in-text citations and reference list entry according to GCU Style.
2) Please review the following video Writing Process about writing introductory paragraphs and thesis statements, with particular focus on Section One: Organizing the College Essay. Note: This link works best in the Google Chrome browser.
For the first essay, you will be writing a definition essay about a term related to organ sales or donations. Please share your current thesis statement for your definition essay. Here is a sample thesis statement for the definition essay:
Organ sales in the United States would be unethical because they exploit the poor, favor the rich, and create an unfair or black market organ lottery.During the week, respond to your classmates with constructive feedback about their thesis statements. You may consider revising your own thesis statement after receiving feedback from your peers.
3) Read "Legalizing the Organ Trade?" by Ritter.
As noted in Peter Ritter's (2008), "Legalizing the Organ Trade?", Singapore's health minister, Khaw Boon Wan, argued that, "We may be able to find an acceptable way to allow a meaningful compensation for some living, unrelated kidney donors, without breaching ethical principles or hurting the sensitivities of others" (para. 2). In the definition essay assignment, you are asked to select a term, define the term, and offer evidence to support your definition of the term.
In this case, imagine you have selected the term meaningful compensation to define. You might ask yourself: What constitutes meaningful compensation for an organ donor, especially if the donor is poor and the recipient is wealthy? What examples of human organ sales can I find that match or do notmatch your definition of meaningful compensation? What other terms related to organ sales and donation would be suitable for an argument of definition?
4) In the Aristotelian or Classical Framework for argument, a writer might target an audience of readers that is undecided or neutral about the main claim (thesis statement) of the essay. A section is placed directly before the conclusion for acknowledging opposing viewpoints. Then the writer chooses to concede or refute that view.
Why does the writer not want to spend much time on an opposing viewpoint? Why mention that viewpoint at all? How might a concession help or hinder the main claim of the essay (the thesis)? What are some opposing viewpoints you might include in your definition essay?