The steel man argument
The steel man argument (or steelmanning) is the exact opposite of the straw man argument.This may involve removing flawed assumptions that could be easily refuted, for example, so that one produces the best argument for the “core” of one’s opponent’s position.
Now that you’ve confirmed a bias and evaluated an opposing side’s biased opinion, now let’s really put ourselves to the task of finding the truth.
Using either your perspective from the previous two responses or a new perspective altogether, attempt to steelman the opposition.
In other words, try to find the absolute best information/argument you can find in opposition to your own view. You are still absolutely free to disagree with and refute the evidence you find — the idea here is to simply really-truly-honestly give the opposition to your view a fair chance.
This means finding an article or other text that is as informed and unbiased as possible (media bias chart can be used to help here again).
A simple step might be to literally Google “the best argument for X” or even “scientific proof regarding X”.
Follow this with your own best counter-evidence!
PROMPTS:
1. What is the central argument of this text? What evidence do they provide to support? Provide a quote in in-text MLA format to substantiate your answer.
2. Was this text convincing in any way? Did it effectively challenge any of your views or parts of your views? Why or why not? Which views or information does it directly challenge?
3. Do any aspects or conclusions of this text seem illogical or unreasonable? If so which ones stand out, specifically? Can you counter these conclusions with information that supports your own perspective?
See if you can find a reliable text with fact-based information that can challenge this text! Provide a quote in in-text MLA format to substantiate your answer.
4. Cite this source in MLA format.
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