Discover the gems of argumentative skills in everyday conversation!

In the process of asking and answering questions, we sometimes discover valuable claims we weren't even aware of, and we spontaneously come up with reasons and evidence to support our claims.
This is something that anyone can experience when having a conversation about a topic of interest.
The same thing happens when you write.
I don't write down what I realize, I realize it through writing.
This book clearly shows that the principles of excellent argumentation are at work in the ordinary conversations we use every day.

We hope this book is not just a reference guide on how to write good argumentative essays, but a guide that awakens you to the wisdom of a larger world.
I also hope that this book will contribute to raising awareness of the importance of argument education.
I hope that through this book, many people will realize that argumentation is a fundamental yet essential wisdom that people must possess in any situation, whether at school, at work, or in civil society.

--- p.18

Even if you've never studied argumentation before, you already know a lot about it.
If you can communicate and interact rationally with others, you already have excellent argumentation skills.

--- p.19

We engage in conversations about everything from trivial matters like deciding what to wear today to profound ones like deciding which religion to believe in.
Dialogue is a crucial tool in conducting business, deciding public policy, deciding which claims to accept as fact, or debating civil solutions to conflict.
The skills of asserting, defending, and persuading others play an important role in personal, social, and professional situations.

--- p.21

Almost without exception, even those considered the most creative in human history learned and mastered the basics within significant constraints and frameworks, and then deliberately altered or even destroyed them.
Shakespeare, arguably the most creative writer in the English-language world, also began his career within the conventional framework of drama and poetry of his time.
For those who have not mastered the basics perfectly, there is no framework to break, and therefore no creativity to explode.

--- p.25

Regardless of what one majors in, the most fundamental virtue that university education requires of students is to constantly question, debate, and argue.
This is not to teach opposition for the sake of opposition, but to teach civic skepticism and rationality that allow us to find desirable solutions to complex and difficult problems together.
It is on the foundation of this civic spirit that the academic community operates, the businesses and social organizations that students experience after graduation operate, and a healthy democracy operates.
--- p.28

Argumentation is the force that makes the heart of the public world of experience beat.
Learning to argue is not simply about becoming a rational individual; it is about becoming a rational citizen, which in turn is the power to create a rational society.
In a society where argument is alive and breathing, in other words, where critical thinking is at work, fake news and irrational claims that could destroy society in an instant have no power.

--- p.38

Today, many advanced countries require universities to make developing talents with critical thinking skills a core educational goal.
The ability to go beyond analyzing others' arguments and create your own rational arguments is becoming an increasingly valuable competitive advantage.

--- p.46

Argumentation is the most rational way to collaborate with others to find the right solution to a difficult problem.
In a word, argumentation can be said to be 'collaborative critical thinking' or 'collective critical thinking'.
Of course, arguments often fail to lead to agreement, but they still provide opportunities to recognize, understand, and respect differences.
That alone makes the argument a significant success.

--- p.48

In today's complex society, where diverse values ​​coexist, relying solely on 'goodwill' and 'tolerance' is bound to reach its limits in order to sustain and prosper.
We need a 'rational civic consciousness' that knows how to calmly and friendly explain the values ​​we pursue.
We must be able to understand and respect each other's values.
The key to the success of a society where diverse cultures coexist is ultimately argumentation.

--- p.52

Democracy works best when we constantly question those in power and have them answer.
But democracy is in danger when we elect representatives who don't ask the right questions, or who don't even know what questions to ask.
The moment we allow those in power to make policy decisions arbitrarily without any justification, our democratic society falls into the abyss.
--- p.55

Many believe that in the world of politics, power and influence, not logic or evidence, ultimately exert influence, and therefore all rational argument or discussion is futile.
But such thinking blinds us to the stark truth that the world would be a much more rational place if a culture of argument and discussion were more widespread.
Such thinking is nothing more than an excuse for those who seek to defend those who abuse their power at will and to profit from their patronage.
In the short term, those in power may succeed in pushing their claims with brute force, but their weak arguments will ultimately fail in the eyes of a critically thinking public and will be historically invalidated.

--- p.56

Even when thinking on your own, you naturally develop critical thinking as you argue, presenting more reasons and finding evidence to gain the agreement of others.
By asking questions from the perspective of others, it provides an opportunity to more carefully calibrate and organize my facts, reasons, beliefs, and perspectives.

--- p.108

We must never forget that the evidence presented in an argument is never the evidence itself, but only a 'report' on the evidence.
‘Reporting evidence’ is neither real nor objective.
We must always remember that what we usually call evidence is merely a report processed to fit an argument.

--- p.198

When you want to change someone's feelings or opinions about something, you shouldn't argue about definitions.
No matter how much you argue about whether someone's behavior is "frugal" or "stingy," or "principled" or "stubborn," you will never be able to convince them.

--- p.339

The writing should not only be clear, but also concise and vivid.
Clear, concise, and vivid writing amplifies the logic of an argument and conveys the writer's ethos more powerfully.
Of course, just because you write well doesn't mean that invalid logic becomes valid, but the power of persuasion that good writing enhances cannot be ignored.

--- p.404

To undermine sound thinking by overusing value-judgmental language is to betray the ethical obligations we have to uphold for our readers.
In fact, the act of spewing sarcastic and cynical language with the intention of provoking the emotions of the audience or readers causes enormous social harm.
We must constantly monitor and guard against such attitudes from seeping into the public sphere.

--- p.450

Even if plagiarism is committed unintentionally, it is not something that can be easily tolerated.
It is no excuse for a writer not to know how to cite other writings or sources.
Readers won't believe your writing, let alone you.
Properly citing other people's writing and materials is the most fundamental aspect of writing, so making mistakes in this area is unacceptable.

--- p.640

We have long believed that 'clear thinking leads to clear writing.'
However, we know from countless experiences that thinking clearly does not necessarily lead to clear writing.
This tells us that what we think is not immediately translated into writing.
We need to work on converting the verbal properties that accompany the thought process into literal properties.
The act of reading also converts literal properties into verbal properties and inputs them into the thought process.
Ultimately, this means that the arduous work of translating oral language into written language, or translating written language into oral language, which is closely involved in the process of our thinking, is involved.

--- p.681

The word 'passion' is, in fact, a word that comes from the perspective of an outsider.
Writing is not a passion, it's a labor.
The expression 'passion' is nothing more than an expression used by third parties who do not actually participate in the labor, but who observe those who do, to hide their limitations and provide comfort.

--- p.684