# Argumentation and Analysis By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2024-06-30 There are two critical parts of a debate. The first is agreement on the premise. The second is the strength of the deductive argument from the premise to the conclusion. Both elements are important. Assessing the quality of the deductive argument is the easiest of the two. Agreeing to the premise is more challenging than one might think. A premise might be that people are good. Is this true? Should one stipulate this as the starting point for a debate? There is plenty of data suggesting that people have the capacity for goodness. There are plenty of data suggesting otherwise. If one accepts the premise, certain things follow. And so it is for every premise. When working on an assignment, one should examine it, looking for the hidden premise at its foundation. Knowing the assumed premise of the assignment helps build the logic of one’s analysis. Analysis is a part of argumentation. It is how one builds support for one’s argument. It allows one to accept a given position as accurate. Analysis establishes what it is. From this foundation, one can posit how things should be and how likely it is to achieve. All of this is largely nonsensical without understanding and agreement on the premise. #### Related Items [[Argumentation]] [[Debate]] [[Analytics]] [[Premise]]