Warrants

1. Warrants • What are they? • Types of warrants • Why are warrants important? • Examples

2. Definition of Warrant • The warrant is the component of the argument that establishes the logical connection between the data and the claim. • One could equate the warrant with the reasoning process used by the speaker to arrive at the claim. • This is the point in the argument where audience members may not agree with the conclusions (claim) being drawn.

3. Types of Warrants • A Warrant can be classified according to purpose and type. • Authoritative Warrants • Motivational Warrants • Substantive Warrants

4. Types of Warrants: Authoritative • These types of warrants rely on expert testimony to justify a claim. • The warrant generically states that “qualified sources conclude that based on this data the following conclusion is justified.” • This type of warrant is obviously dependent on backing offered in terms of expert testimony.

5. Types of Warrants: Motivational • Motivational warrants rely on appeals to the audiences convictions, virtues, and values to support the claim. • Speakers using these types of warrants must rely on precise audience analysis in order to understand what motivational appeals would be effective.

6. Types of Warrants: Substantive • Substantive warrants more closely resemble more traditional forms of logical reasoning. • There are several types of reasoning processes that can constitute substantive warrants. Some of these reasoning types include: • Cause-Effect/Effect-Cause, Generalization based on example, and Classification.

7. Why are Warrants Important? • Warrants are essential to an argument. They make a logical connection between the accepted data and the claim. • Warrants answer the unspoken audience question of, “How did you arrive at that claim based upon the data presented?”

8. Example of Backing (1) • Suppose that a speaker is making the claim that the government should tax companies for the pollution that they produce. • The warrant states that pollution causes health harms. • In this example the speaker is using a substantive warrant based on causal reasoning.

9. Example of backing (2) • The speaker claims that the Titanic is the best motion picture of all time. • The warrant states that the Titanic appeals to all of our romantic tendencies. • In this example, the speaker is relying on a motivational warrant appealing to romantics. Notice that the argument would not be effective if the audience was composed of unromantic clods!

10. Example of Backing (3) • The speaker claims that handguns should be banned. • The warrant states that experts believe that handguns cause needless death. • In this example, the speaker is relying on an authoritative warrant. Notice that the argument would not be effective without backing from a qualified source.