The Toulmin Method

 The Toulmin Method is a style of analyzing arguments developed by the philosopher, Stephen Toulmin (Green, 345). The method is comprised of six elements: claims, reasons, evidence, warrants, qualifiers, and rebuttals (Green, 348). Claims, reasons, and evidence are the bulk of the main structure of the argument while warrants, qualifiers, and rebuttals add to the strength of said argument. 

The claim of an argument could be "consuming trans-fats is unhealthy."

The reason for that claim is that "Trans-fats increase your risk of heart disease." 

The evidence would be something based on a study or facts, such as "In a 4-week study in which trans fats replaced saturated fats, HDL (good) cholesterol dropped 21% and artery dilation was impaired by 29%" (Bots, de roos, Katan, 2001).

A warrant is an underlying belief or unstated assumption about the claim itself (Green, 346). Warrants often go unstated because they are usually assumed. For example, "being unhealthy is a bad thing," would be the warrant for this example.

A qualifier is a component that can specify the claim. By adding a qualifier, your argument is stronger because it takes into account the exceptions. For example, "consuming too many artifically occuring trans-fats is unhealthy."

Lastly, A rebuttal is "a statement that shows that the writer has anticipated counterarguments and diffused them by showing their flaws" (Green, 348).  A rebuttal itself can turn into an argument of it's own, so it's best to be prepared if the counterargument is anticipated.

In the youtube video, The Toulmin Model of Argument, Stephen Klien gives a fantastic explanation of the method, and uses President Obama's speech as an example for the components. The speech Klien references is President Obama's response to Syria using chemical weapons. 

Works cited 

 MB;, de Roos NM;Bots ML;Katan. “Replacement of Dietary Saturated Fatty Acids by Trans Fatty Acids Lowers Serum HDL Cholesterol and Impairs Endothelial Function in Healthy Men and Women.” Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 21 July 2001, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11451757/.

Green, J. M. (2017). Communicating online. United States: McGraw Hill Education Create. Retrieved February 16, 2021, from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781307589122/cfi/0!/4/2@100:0.00