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Effective argumentation is a central part of critical thinking and the topic of our last section to the course.
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Although the term "argumentation" today has negative connotations, it was once considered one of the highest pursuits.
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As we touched upon previously, argumentation is a process whereby divergent ideas or opinions are brought into contact and interact
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with the intention of inferring a conclusive single global outcome.
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Arguments can take two basic forms: fights or debates depending on whether they're based on force or the process of reasoning
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In this section, we will explore both rational and non-rational arguments.
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As we'll see, in its most constructive form the principal purpose of argumentation is to serve as a means of collective judgment and decision-making and hence an important means of governance.
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Argumentation also is a way of knowing as we decide what we believe through the testing of different claims.
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And argumentation helps to achieve the goals of a democratic society
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by cultivating the skills of critical thinking, reflective judgment and active participation as vital to the maintenance of a robust society.
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Just as the primary use of cognition within the individual is for them to make decisions and act, the same goes for groups of people.
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Groups and whole societies need to use their knowledge base and means of communication to deliberate and generate decisions about important issues that affect all.
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This happens through the process of argumentation.
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Whether it's scientists trying to come to the best theory, a family trying to resolve an issue, a political system trying to make a collective decision, or a group of people debating a contentious issue,
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argumentation is a pervasive phenomena in all societies and understanding its basic workings is of great significance both for the individual and for society at large.