Lesson #9 – Supporting your Thesis, Part V (Invention)
- Complete the reading assignment
- Complete the writing exercise
- Post your assignment in the comments
- Share the lesson with a friend
Reading
Review
In the last couple of lessons, we have learned that a deductive argument uses syllogistic logic to make a point that supports your thesis, and an inductive argument offers particular examples that either support your thesis directly, or that support your thesis indirectly by supporting your deductive argument.
Today’s Lesson
Today’s lesson is the cure-all for what some call writer’s block, and it’s called topics of invention.
Topic comes from the root word topos or topoi meaning location or categories. Invention means to devise matter, in particular, true or plausible matter that is compelling in the support of your thesis.
Literally, we could say that “topics of invention” are “places to find things.”
In antiquity, these were divided into categories of “common” and “special” topics of invention. Common, referred to more general ideas, and special referred to the three divisions of oratory: political, forensic, and ceremonial (It’s not important to know these at this point, but just to be familiar with the terms.)
There are seven common topics of invention that writers should be familiar with: definition, comparison, division, relationship, circumstance, notation and testimony.
We will form questions for five of the topics of invention that are most useful in developing arguments for our thesis:
- What is the definition of X? What are its characteristics, both general and specific.
- What is the difference between X and Y? How are they different, and how are they alike, and to what degree?
- What is the relationship between X and Y? cause and effect? antecedent and consequence? contraries or contradictions?
- What are the circumstances of X? Is it impossible; is it improbable; is it probable; is it certain?
- Is there any credible testimony that supports my argument? Is there an authority, a statistic, a law, a maxim, a precedent, or an example?
Writing Exercise
Use each question above to invent five new arguments for your thesis.
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