Middle and high school students will argue (and sometimes quarrel), but they won't argue well without good training. Students who complete The Art of Argument will know how to reason with clarity, relevance, and purpose . . . and have fun along the way! They will study and master 28 logical fallacies, which will provide an essential lifetime framework for filtering good and bad reasoning as well as writing and speaking effectively. This mastery of informal logic is a foundational subject by which other subjects are evaluated, assessed, and learned.
"My chief objection to a quarrel," G.K. Chesterton wrote, "is that it ends a good argument."
The Art of Argument features clear explanations and illustrations, along with dialogues, worksheets, and dialectic discussion questions, making this text easy to follow and engaging. The fallacies become relevant with practical applications through an analysis of current social, commercial, and political issues, as well as over 60 comical and clever phony advertisements. Fun extras are included, such as a humorous skit for students to perform and the famous short story "Love Is a Fallacy" by Max Shulman.
The Art of Argument Teacher's Edition features the entire content of the The Art of Argument student text, along with answer keys, teaching tips, and invaluable chapter and unit tests. The Art of Argument DVD set is also available as a companion product. See our Support tab above for schedule recommendations.
Socrates is the "go to" person when it comes to fallacies (occurrence of bad or incorrect reasoning) and his perspective on the three basic categories - fallacies of irrelevance (points that don't relate to the issue), of presumption (assumptions that are not justified or necessary), and of clarity (language that confuses and muddies) - is sought via time-travel. Several examples of each are provided plus the student has the opportunity to identify fallacies in cleverly fabricated magazine advertisements. Fallacies are printed on the inside covers of the Student Text for easy reference. Both Student and TE (each about 230 pgs, pb) have appendices that include a play and a short story that illustrate fallacies as well as a Glossary and Bibliography. TE includes reproducible chapter, unit, and final exams (with answer key). DVDs include 28 sessions (one for each fallacy) in which three teachers and 4 students present, define, discuss and explain the fallacy. As in the text, the DVDs emphasize a practical application to the student's life through advertisements, political speeches, and various moral/ethical debates.
Required text for a class
homeschooling
Veritas Press Required books
Veritas Press Associate Logic course requirement