Arguments can be explicit or implicit. An explicit argument directly states it controversial claim and supports it with reasons and evidence. An implicit argument in contrast, may not look like an argument at all. It may be a bumper sticker, a billboard, a poster, a photograph. Explicit arguments persuade the audience toward a certain point of view.  Arguments whether implicit or explicit, work the audiences psychologically as well as cognitively, triggering emotions as well as thoughts and ideas.

Socrates valued truth seeking over persuasion he believed that the truth could be discovered through philosophic inquiry. For Socrates, truth resided in the ideal world of forms and, through rigor humans could transcend the changing shadowlike world of everyday reality to perceive the world of universals where truth, beauty and goodness resided. Through this method Socrates would gradually peel away layer after layer of false views until the truth was revealed. Socrates opposed the Sophists who were professional rhetoricians who specialized in training orators to win arguments.

Inquiry is a way to enrich reading and writing of arguments. There are five strategies for deep reading use a variety of questions and prompts to find an issue to explore; place readings in their rhetorical context; read as a believer; read as a doubter; and think dialectically.  Free writing is a useful stage in the writing process you just write rapidly and don’t stop your goal is to generate as many ideas as possible. Idea mapping is another technique for coming up with ideas for writing. Summarizing an article is texts and major points it eliminates the supporting details, writers often incorporate summaries of other writers into their own arguments, either to support their own views or to represent alternative views they intend to oppose.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings, 8th Edition. New York: Longman, 2010.