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This book is about making arguments. The term “argument” may conjure up an image of angry disagreements and quarrels. This is not what this book is about. The term has another meaning, an epistemological one (pronounced as “ep’istemo-lo’gical”), which is, showing why something is true. This book is about how we make “truth-claims” and show why. Obviously, this is not a revolutionary topic. Homo sapiens have been practicing this art from time immemorial. And much of what we do today in daily life, in schools, in colleges and universities, in business, in law, in politics, in diplomacy, and in many other forums is the same: to make arguments of one kind or another. Some arguments are simple and straightforward, and others are complex. Some are persuasive, others are not. Some are genuine, others casuistic. Genuine and persuasive arguments move the world, not always but for the most part. The making of genuine and persuasive arguments is the subject of this book.

"The Making of an Argument transforms our minds from the descriptive, storytelling mode of thinking to that of critical and creative argumentation?a huge challenge in today's globalized discourse environment. The book is written in a tone absolutely easy-to-read and conversational, a splendid accomplishment by Professor Yong Lee; it is a must-read for all students regardless of their disciplines and levels, as well as for professionals in all walks of life.” M. Jae Moon, Professor, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea

“A breakthrough?a true gift to international students who are wrestling with research papers and thesis writing. This is a book that you will want to read again and again. Yong-duck Jung, Professor, Seoul National University, and President of the Korean Social Science Research Council.

“The Making of an Argument is a wonderful introduction to critical thinking. Unlike any other book on the market, it is specifically written for the non-U.S. student who is still mastering English and who may be unfamiliar with a liberal arts environment where argument is prized over mere description. Professor Lee draws on his own early experience as a student and his many subsequent years as a professor teaching in the United States and Korea. The result is an amazing and timely book that will serve a growing global population of university students. Highly recommended.” Colin Fisher, Professor, University of California, San Diego

“Professor Lee’s beautifully written and easy-to-read book explains everything that there is to know about making an argument clearly and convincingly. This is one that will be on writers’ bookshelves for many years to come. Hyun O. Lee, Professor, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea

“The Making of an Argument is a perfect textbook?the first of its kind?for students who write an argumentative essay, a thesis or a dissertation. By the time you finish reading all chapters and the suggested exercises, you will have completed your research project.” Tobin Im, Professor, Seoul National University

“Yong S Lee uses broad strokes to create a breathtaking canvas of scholarly arguments. The Making of an Argument is a true eye-opener for graduate students and practitioners around the world.” Soon Hee Kim, Professor, Maxwell School, Syracuse University.

“The Making of an Argument is a timeless yet timely book of writing, crossing all academic disciplines and cultures. Professor Lee opens our eyes to the living, organic nature of the argument which he likens to dropping a pebble in a still pond causing the first ripple to expand into ever-widening concentric circles. Wow! It is a must-read for the poetic elements alone.” Hun Joo Park, KDI School of Public Policy and Management, Seoul, Korea.

“The Making of an Argument is my personal story, too. When I began my study in the U.S. as an international student, I encountered many difficulties in academic writing. Ironically, the problem was not so much of English as the making of an argument. Now as a professor teaching research methods and academic writing, I find that virtually all students, regardless of their levels, are struggling with problems similar to what I had experienced years ago. Professor Lee’s Making of an Argument is the best that there is?magnificently written with lucid examples.” Sooho Lee, Professor, University of West Georgia

“Nothing in this book is really new, yet everything is fresh and illuminated in a different light. What an extraordinary experience! Jin W Mok, Professor, Kookmin University, Seoul, Korea

“The Making of an Argument is a great text?not only for international students but also for our graduate students in the U.S. I will definitely recommend it to our Ph.D. students. Alfred Ho, Professor, University of Kansas

“Finally, a textbook on how to make arguments that addresses the particular need of students outside the United States. The Making of an Argument will undoubtedly become the backbone of all research papers and thesis writing, guiding all writers who strive for excellence. Highly recommended. Joongho Han, Professor, KDI School of Public Policy and Management, Seoul, Korea

“The Making of an Argument is a significant treatise on writing; it is a lifeline to those who are unfamiliar with making arguments yet thrown in a swift water of academic competition to sink or swim. Grab hold of this book! Man Hyung Cho, Professor, Hahn Nam University, Daejeon, Korea

Preface

1. Prologue: Why Socrates Had to Die
2. Looking for and Issue for Debate
3. Framing a Research Question
4. Making and Argument
5. Counterargument and Deliberation
6. Summary and Conclusion

Appendix
References
Index

Preface

This book is about making arguments. The term “argument” may conjure up an image of angry disagreements and quarrels. This is not what this book is about. The term has another meaning, an epistemological one (pronounced as “ep’istemo-lo’gical”), which is, showing why something is true. This book is about how we make “truth-claims” and show why. Obviously, this is not a revolutionary topic. Homo sapiens have been practicing this art from time immemorial. And much of what we do today in daily life, in schools, in colleges and universities, in business, in law, in politics, in diplomacy, and in many other forums is the same: to make arguments of one kind or another. Some arguments are simple and straightforward, and others are complex. Some are persuasive, others are not. Some are genuine, others casuistic. Genuine and persuasive arguments move the world, not always but for the most part. The making of genuine and persuasive arguments is the subject of this book.
The text, which is a series of lectures, elucidates how we make arguments: how we select issues and controversies for debate (research), how we frame the issues and questions, how we construct claims (hypotheses), how we reason to support the hypothesized claims, how we entertain counterarguments (the views in opposition to ours), and how we deliberate on the issues before us. There is a close parallel, as well as a complimentarity, between the methods of arguments and the textbook methods of research. If there is a difference, it is that while the textbook methods are steeped in “models and statistics,” the argument approach is holistic and conversational, and engages the audience. When we are preoccupied, as we often are, with the niceties of empirical methods, the methods often take a life of their own, and we tend to forget the real purpose of our discourse. Should this occur, the argument theory has a suggestion: “Take a pause, step back, ask what in essence our story is about, and how it may contribute to the common good; better yet, begin with a narrative story and then look for supporting evidence.”
This book has grown out of a course “Thesis Writing” which I have taught experimentally at the KDIS (Korean Development Institute School of Public Policy and Management), although the subject has been part of my life-long journey as a teacher-and-researcher. Years ago, when I became an “emeritus” professor of political science (this is a polite term for a retiring professor), I had the honor to be invited by the KDIS to create this course among others. The students at the KDIS are a mosaic of various cultures. As of today, nearly a half of them come from developing countries around the world and the other half from South Korea. As can be imagined, this mosaic makes all classrooms a culturally diverse learning laboratory. While this diversity is a dream for curriculum and pedagogical experimentation, it also provides formidable challenges, especially when it comes to supervising academic essays, term papers, and theses. For one thing, English is invariably our students’ second language with proficiency at various levels?a challenge that is not insurmountable yet cannot be underestimated. But the real challenge?from my vantage point?is to teach them how to think critically and construct scholarly arguments, the very essence of liberal education and argumentative speech and writing.
The difficulties many of our students encounter with argumentative projects stem from the veiled fact that they come from cultures in which critical thinking and argumentation are not valued, if not suppressed. So, when they are asked to write analytical and argumentative pieces, they tend to produce descriptive reports, the mode of thinking with which they are most familiar. When they are asked, for example, to select an issue for debate and research, they tend to select a broad and abstract subject which does not easily lend itself to a scholarly debate. W