Our personal and political world is full of controversies and disagreements,
some of which are trivial and cynical. The inability to compromise and the inability to understand opponents is all the rage today,
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from countries refusing to negotiate to politicians seeking their footing.
Social media has created a vicious world dominated by extreme positions. In most of these discrepancies,
the parties yell at each other, little progress is made, and the end result is to reinforce (or escalate) their position.
But there is such a thing as a ‘good’ argument.
Arguments that justify both sides can ultimately allow for some degree of mutual understanding and respect,
and the possibility of compromise can arise even if one side does not convince the other.
Sinnott-Armstrong’s book shows the importance of good argumentation and shows a common misconception about it.
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Many people view arguments as a means of persuading others or winning an intellectual competition.
Sinnott-Armstrong sees them as far more important as a means of playing a constructive role in the way we interact with each other.
He shows the reader a way out of trouble by giving them a good argument.
Using clear, vivid and practical prose and a wealth of examples from politics, popular culture,
and everyday life, he introduces the reader to the following topics: The role of reason in argument;
parts that make up a good argument; which arguments can be effectively achieved;
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Differences in essential terms such as deduction, induction and induction when generating arguments;
How to spot errors in someone else’s argument. Armed with these tools,
Sinnott-Armstrong wants its readers to spot false reasoning and false claims,
develop their views in a powerful and logical way, and resolve disputes effectively.
