Seven types of argument

Pop quiz!

Let's classify some more ads!

Print ad Crest don't roll dice with teeth

Does this ad primarily make a valuational, proposal or ethical argument?

World Vision child slavery ad 2

Does this ad primarily make a valuational, proposal or ethical argument?

Poster ad Careful with electricity

Does this ad primarily make a valuational, proposal or ethical argument?

Print ad Reporters without borders chewed pen

Does this ad primarily make a valuational, proposal or ethical argument? (Or is this a trick question?)

We would classify the first three as:

  1. Valuational
  2. Ethical
  3. Proposal

The last one is a bit of a trick question, but it's a good example of how argument types can be combined.

It's really:

  1. A proposal (donate to Reporters Without Borders)
  2. Using a resemblance claim ("Some countries treat journalists like you treat a pen")
  3. Based on an ethical assumption (it's morally wrong to treat reporters this way)
  4. Plus a valuational assumption (reporters are worth more than pens)

But if you were to identify the most obvious argument type being used in the last ad, it's a resemblance argument.

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