Why Must We Pay Attention to Formal Correctness?

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Building a correct argumentation

Generally speaking, we want to convince a jury, a target group, an employer with our points of view. In order to do this, we build argumentations.
 
There are several elements present in an argumentation:

• An idea to be maintained, which is the conclusion of an intervention;
• The arguments put forward to maintain it, or the premises that are the basis of the conclusion.

When we want to convince someone that our point of view deserves to be maintained we build an argument. The need for an argumentation comes either when we doubt our own convictions, or when others have doubts about the truth (utility, importance, necessity) of what we maintain.

Affirming or asserting an opinion is maintaining it. Every time we maintain an opinion we have to be ready to make an argumentation. When we offer an argument, there must be an obvious connection between it and the given opinion.

The argument must give a meaning to the subject, it must be relevant.

If a point of view maintains that it is necessary to diminish and gradually eliminate gender discriminations, it will not bring as an argument the fact that this would be in the advantage of women. Such an argument would not be relevant even if that sentence expresses something true.

An argument may sometimes be relevant, but insufficient. In such cases, more arguments which are each, taken separately, insufficient, may complement each other. Together, they may become convincing.

If a point of view maintains for instance the necessity of making a guide for gender issues, one of the reasons for doing this could be that such a guide is currently missing. This argument, although true, is insufficient.

It needs to be backed by others, such as the fact that this kind of guide could help those interested in this issues write better and more easily their point f view, but also that in this way gender discriminations and disequilibria could be gradually removed from social, political and administrative domains, thus contributing to achieving the equality of chances between women and men.

Each argument must be significant, credible, so that, taken together, they can give the opinion its necessary strength.

In some cases, a single argument may be even stronger than the opinion it backs, because we usually subscribe to a general argument.

If a point of view concerning the encouragement of high school girls’ participating in political activities in their region brings forth the argument of the necessity of their being educated so that they may participate in the political life of their country, this single reason would suffice. It is a strong and relevant argument.

Of course, the adequacy of the argument does not transform the point of view into a successful action.

Arguing for its necessity and putting it into practice are two relatively different aspects, but it cannot be denied that the process of acknowledging its necessity (by correctly elaborating a point of view) is an important condition for the success of an action.

Good arguments, correctly elaborated, are always strong and relevant. Their strength may either come from separate action, or from the interaction with other arguments.
 

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