Toulmin model of argumentation

Background

Stephen Toulmin was a British philosopher and professor, born in 1922 and died in 2009.

He is known for his model of argumentation, which he originally described in The Uses of Argument from 1958.

About the model

Toulmin's model is about how a good argument is built. With the model, you can examine an argument and identify points of view and justifications for points of view - and see how the argument is built.

The function of the argumentation element is therefore to present different justifications for the claim made.

Toulmin's model is built around three basic elements - Claim, Ground and authority

and three supplementary elements - backing, strength marker and refutation.

Let's look at the individual elements.

Claim

An argument is a reasoned claim. 

The claim is the point of view that the sender wants to convince the recipient of.

Ground

The justification for the claim, e.g. evidence or facts. 

Ground: The basic belief that ties the claim and the argument together

Backing: Support for the ground, e.g. experiences or data.

Qualifierr: Words that show how strongly the sender believes his claim

Rebuttal: To make reservations for counterarguments

The three basic elements will always be present in an argumentation and therefore we start by explaining the basic model.

As mentioned, the basic model includes a claim, warrant and ground.

The claim is what you want to convince your recipient of or gain support for. The claim is the central point of argumentation. 

The claim can be – “It is important to exercise.”and the evidence is the justification for the claim. 

This is revealed by asking Why. 

Why is it important to exercise? The evidence: It is healthy. 

According to Toulmin, there is also a basis that shows the connection between the claim and the ground. 

The basis is a form of extended evidence - evidence that supports the claim. 

So - "it is important to exercise because it is healthy". The warrant: You should do what is healthy. 

In the extended model, we have the last three elements: backing, qualifier and rebuttal. 

These elements are not always present in an argument, but they can be. 

Backing is support for the warrant. It can be experiences or concrete data that support the argument. Backing is used when the recipient raises doubts about the basis. Here, the sender will need to strengthen his argument with additional documentation. 

In our example about exercise, it can be concrete research that shows that it is healthy to exercise.

Qualifier: words that emphasize the argument and show how strongly the sender means their claim. Here, you tone down or tone down your argument. Words like always, certainly, of course, without a doubt, etc. will be typical strength markers. 

This could be: “You will undoubtedly feel better when you exercise”. 

Rebuttal: when the sender of an argument makes reservations and perhaps anticipates some counterarguments. So you include the opposing party's point of view in advance to counter any criticism. 

Rebuttal is the phase where you refute any misconceptions and possible counterarguments. 

“It can be difficult to find time to exercise, but the benefits are great, so you have to find time for it”.

Criticism of the model

The model is criticized for some of its terms being vague – for example, rebuttal and warrant are open to interpretation.

It is sometimes criticized for oversimplifying complex arguments. Critics believe that the components of the model may not capture the full nuance of complex arguments, especially in academic or technical contexts.

Some of the arguments are open to individual interpretation and thus a subjective assessment.

Despite these criticisms, Toulmin's model is widely used – especially in education. Its emphasis on real-world argumentation and practical application make it a valuable tool for understanding and evaluating arguments in everyday discourse.