Assignment On Definition Argument
detail about what kind of paper you need to write is Attached below
[claim:] Karl Marx is a Revolutionary
[hook:] In the course of human history, there have been individuals that, through their thoughts or actions, manage to change the world. These individuals are revolutionary, and Karl Marx is one of those individuals. … sentence… that… supports… the… topic… sentence… of… the… paragraph… [enthymeme: (claim + grounds)] Karl Marx is a revolutionary because he thought that capitalist society is in conflict, thought that the workers could attain power, and advocated for those workers (the proletariat) to overthrow their oppressors (the bourgeoisie) and take control of their own destiny through revolution.… [qualifier: (if applicable)] sentence… that… brings… all… elements… of… the… paragraph… together… [transition:] … sentence… that… ties… this… paragraph… to… the… next… paragraph…
[topic sentence based on warrant:] Revolutionaries may have many different reasons for their immense drive and even different ways that that drive is manifest in their life, but there are characteristics that all revolutionaries share. [warrant:] A revolutionary recognizes conflict and the need for change, sees the forces vital for that change, and works for, or engages in, political revolution (Wikipedia: Revolutionary). … sentence… in… your… own… words… that… links… the… quote… to… the… paragraph… and… to… your… paper… | … sentence… that… brings… all… elements… of… the… paragraph… together… | [transition:] … sentence… that… ties… this… paragraph… to… the… next… paragraph…
[topic sentence based on evidence 1:] Karl Marx stated that capitalist society is in conflict between the poor (the proletariat) and the rich (the bourgeoisie). … sentence… that… supports… the… topic… sentence… of… the… paragraph… [evidence 1:] In Wage Labour and Capital, Marx stated that “[t]he existence of a class which possesses nothing but its capacity to labour is a necessary requisite for capital” APA: (1977, p. 208) MLA: (208). … sentence… in… your… own… words… that… links… the… quote… to… the… paragraph… and… to… your… paper… | … sentence… that… brings… all… elements… of… the… paragraph… together… | [transition:] … sentence… that… ties… this… paragraph… to… the… next… paragraph…
[topic sentence based on evidence 2:] Karl Marx thought that through education and personal development, at least some of the workers (the proletariat) will realize that they have the power to change things. … sentence… that… supports… the… topic… sentence… of… the… paragraph… [evidence 2:] The Manifesto of the Communist Party, written by Marx and his cohort Friedrich Engels in 1847, and still the pre-eminent document of political revolution in the 21st century, asserted that “…with the development of industry the proletariat not only increases in number; it becomes concentrated in greater masses, its strength grows, and it feels that strength more.” APA: (1977, p. 480) MLA: (480). … sentence… in… your… own… words… that… links… the… quote… to… the… paragraph… and… to… your… paper… | … sentence… that… brings… all… elements… of… the… paragraph… together… | [transition:] … sentence… that… ties… this… paragraph… to… the… next… paragraph…
[topic sentence based on evidence 3:] Karl Marx advocated for workers (the proletariat) to overthrow their oppressors (private ownership, big business: the bourgeoisie) and take control of their own destiny (and thought that this radical change could only happen through revolution). … sentence… that… supports… the… topic… sentence… of… the… paragraph… [evidence 3:] In the minor work Theses on Feuerbach, Marx made one of his most quoted assertions: “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, it to change it.” APA: (1977, p. 145) MLA: (145). … sentence… in… your… own… words… that… links… the… quote… to… the… paragraph… and… to… your… paper… The Manifesto of the Communist Party, ends with a call to arms that continues to resonate today: “The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. WORKING MEN OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!” APA: (Marx & Engels, 1977, p. 500) MLA: (Marx and Engels 500). … sentence… in… your… own… words… that… links… the… quote… to… the… paragraph… and… to… your… paper… | … sentence… that… brings… all… elements… of… the… paragraph… together… | [transition:] … sentence… that… ties… this… paragraph… to… the… next… paragraph…
[topic sentence based on rebuttal:] A point could be made that a revolutionary exhibits more traits than only recognizing conflict and the need for change, seeing the forces present that are vital for that change, and working for, or engaging in, political revolution. These elements are ostensively important to revolution, but only the final point, the action point, actually makes a revolutionary. A real revolutionary actively engages in political revolution. Although Marx wrote about revolutionary topics, he did not engage in active hands-on revolution; he was chained to his desk and never ventured into the dicey field of battle: the true realm of revolution. [refutation of rebuttal:] Marx may have never held a gun or a pitchfork to further revolution, but he wielded something vastly superior in firepower: the pen! His words have spawned successful political revolutions worldwide, and even led to paradigm-shifting revolutions in education, economics, and social and cultural studies. [transition:] … sentence… that… ties… this… paragraph… to… the… next… paragraph…
[CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH, topic sentence that sums up your argument:] Although Karl Marx never fought in the streets of St. Petersburg, Beijing, or Havana, his revolutionary words were the impetus and unifying force in each of those struggles. [restatement of grounds:] Marx was struck by the class conflict inherent in the rise of capitalism and the recognized the need for change. He also felt that the forces vital for that change were present in the increasing plight of the working class, and called for those workers to rise up and unite against the oppressive forces of capitalism. Millions of people today live under political administrations that adhere, or claim to, in some shape or form, these directives proposed by Marx. [concluding hook that ties to initial hook:] In the course of human history, Karl Marx is a revolutionary of the highest order.
Warning: This is just one possible organization format for an argument paper. It is not the only, and may not even be the best for a particular topic.
Warning: This is not a copy + paste example (containing phrases and sentences that you can simply copy and paste into your papers). I created this document to provide a how-to model for a definition argument. If you snatch my words, I assure you that I will notice and that is plagiarism, which is a collegiate NO-NO.
References (APA, on a separate page)
Marx, K. & Engels, F. (1978). The manifesto of the communist party. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
Works Cited (MLA, on a separate page)
Marx, Karl and Engels, Friedrich. The Manifesto of the Communist Party. W. W. Norton & Company, 1978.
General organization of this argument paper
1. Hook
2. Claim (with Qualifier)/Enthymeme (Claim + Grounds)
3. Evidence, least important to most important
4. Rebuttal and Refutation of Rebuttal
5. Conclusion, which reemphasizes the claim and ties to the initial hook
NOTE: This paper is academic. I don’t want to see clichés, contractions, jargon, vulgarity, informal register, etc. Also, remember your transitions between paragraphs
Dealing with “Quotations”
· Always introduce the quote, …according to Marx, “UNITE!”
· Use a variety of words to introduce quotes, e.g., say, posit, assert, etc.
· Quotes never stand alone, without commentary tying it to topic and paper
· Never string a series of quotes together without commentary (see above)
· Always cite the source of the quote within the text (Marx, p. 280) or (Marx 280), and include in the References or Works Cited section at end of paper
· Always use “double-quotes” for quotations; ‘single-quotes’ are used for:
· quotes inside quotes, i.e., as Marx/Engels state: “…from the rise of a revolutionary proletariat. ‘True’ Socialism appeared to kill these two birds with one stone” (p. 495) or (495).
· words or phrases that you would air-quote.
