How to Untangle an Argument

Loading preview...

Use cases

About

The 'How to Untangle an Argument' mind map template is a comprehensive guide for analyzing and deconstructing arguments, covering 96 nodes across 6 major branches including 'Kind of Argument Markers', 'Standart Form', 'Problem of Arguments', 'Argumentative moves', 'Evaluative Language', and 'Close Analysis'. This template helps students, writers, and critical thinkers identify argument markers like 'SO', 'Thus', and 'Therefore', distinguish between reason markers and non-arguments, and understand the 'Skeptikal Regress' problem. It also explores argumentative moves such as 'Assuring', 'Guarding', and 'Discounting', and delves into evaluative language, explaining how words like 'GOOD' and 'BAD' imply standards. The template provides practical examples, such as 'I am tall, so I am good at sports', to illustrate conclusion markers, and discusses tricks like 'When we call something "GOOD", we don't specify what the standards are' to make claims more defensible. This cheat sheet is ideal for philosophy, rhetoric, or debate preparation.

Terms and Conditions

When to use this template

Students and educators in philosophy, rhetoric, or logic classes.

Preparing for a debate or argument analysis assignment in a philosophy or critical thinking course.

Academic writers and researchers.

Writing an essay that requires evaluating the strength of arguments and identifying logical moves.

Journalists, editors, and communication professionals.

Reviewing a persuasive article or speech to deconstruct its argumentative structure and evaluative language.

How to use this template

Step 1

Launch and Explore Argument Structures

Open the template in Xmind to navigate through the six major branches covering argument markers, standard forms, and evaluative language.

Step 2

Analyze Nodes and Detailed Content

Expand collapsed nodes to review specific examples of argumentative moves like assuring or guarding and to understand the skeptical regress problem.

Step 3

Customize and Export Your Analysis

Edit the node text to input your own arguments for deconstruction before exporting the final map as a PDF or image for sharing.

Frequently asked questions

What is included in the 'How to Untangle an Argument' mind map template?

The template includes 96 nodes covering argument markers, standard form, skeptical regress, argumentative moves, evaluative language, and close analysis, with examples and tricks for analyzing arguments.

How do I use this template to identify argument markers?

Open the template in Xmind and explore the 'Kind of Argument Markers' branch to see markers like 'SO', 'Thus', and 'Therefore', along with example sentences showing how they function.

Is this template useful for philosophy or critical thinking classes?

Yes, it covers key concepts like the skeptical regress, argumentative moves (assuring, guarding, discounting), and evaluative language, making it ideal for philosophy, rhetoric, or debate courses.

Can I customize the examples in this Xmind template?

Absolutely. You can edit any node to replace examples with your own arguments or add new branches for additional concepts like fallacies or evidence types.

What is the 'Skeptikal Regress' problem explained in the template?

It describes three ways arguments can fail: using a circular structure, an infinite chain, or starting with an unjustified premise. The template also offers solutions like assuring the audience or finding shared assumptions.

Got an inspiring template?

Share your mind map templates with creators around the world and start earning from your work.

Free template