CRITICAL THINKING Session slide 5

College of Education
School of Continuing and Distance Education
2014/2015 – 2016/2017
UGRC 150
CRITICAL THINKING &
PRACTICAL REASONING
Session 5 – CONTRASTING TYPES OF
DISCOURSE
Lecturer: Dr. Mohammed Majeed
Dept. of Philosophy & Classics, UG
Contact Information: mmajeed@ug.edu.gh

Session Overview
• Individuals engage in a discourse use language, very often
with the intention of being understood. Yet, this sometimes
ends up in disputes and difficulties in understanding caused
by different factors. This session introduces students to these
factors and how to avoid them.
• Goals and Objectives
At the end of the session, the student will understand
1. types of dispute.
2. the difference and relation between metaphors and proverbs
3. linguistic vices such as vagueness and equivocation, and how to
avoid them.
4. the types of discourse revealed in passages.
Dr. Mohammed Majeed Slide 2

Session Outline
The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:
• Topic One: TYPES OF DISPUTES
a. verbal disputes
b. substantive disputes
• Topic Two : METAPHORS AND PROVERBS
• Topic Three: COMMON LINGUISTIC VICES
• Topic Four: TYPES OF DISCOURSE REVEALED IN PASSAGES.

Reading List
• Log onto the UG Sakai LMS course site:
http://sakai.ug.edu.gh/xxxxxxxxx
• Read Unit 3 of Recommended Text –pages 34-56
• Watch the Videos for session 5- Contrasting Types of
Discourse.
• Visit the Chat Room and discuss the Forum question for
session 5

TYPES OF DISPUTE
Topic One

• A dispute may be defined as a disagreement or a
controversy or difference of opinion between two or more
people. Or Basically an argument between two or more
people.
• For instance, if I say my grand mother was a good woman
and you say she was a horrible woman then we can say
there is a dispute in opinion about my grand mother.
• However, we will be looking at these two types of dispute.
1.Verbal disputes
2.Substantive disputes
What is a Dispute

Verbal Disputes
• A verbal dispute is a disagreement which occurs as a result of difference in
opinion about the meaning of a word and the dispute can be resolved
easily when the meaning is clarified. That is, when two parties to
dispute are interpreting a particular word differently and that is what
causes them to disagree with each other.
• Examples:
1. kpanlogo is a traditional folkloric dance that our Ga ancestors used to
dance only at funerals for hundreds of years.
NO! Kpanlogo is a neo-traditional popular dance that the dance-band
Otoo Lincoln and his group created in Bukom Square, Accra, around
1962. He relied on the old funeral dirges to build up a versatile form of
popular dance which suits every occasion nowadays, including funerals.
This is a verbal dispute because the dance “kpanlogo” is what is
causing them to disagree.

Continuation
2.Kwame has new laptop. No, he does not, his brother gave
him his old computer when he upgraded, and that computer
is at least five years old. So does kwame have a “new”
laptop? This depends on how one defines “new”. So this is
also a verbal dispute.
• Verbal disputes can be dissolved by means of a stipulative
definition where the parties to the dispute finally settle on a
common usage or meaning of the word causing them to
disagree in the first place.

Substantive Dispute
• On the other hand if the disagreement or dispute is about the
expression of different opinions about facts or subscription to
contrasting values then the dispute in question is considered as
a substantive dispute.
• Example:
1. The US army personnel are helping Iraqi citizens because
their presence maintains a peaceful and secure environment.
No, these US soldiers are imposing martial law and have
orders to target civilians so they pose a threat to Iraqi citizens.
This is a substantive dispute since the only way we can know
who is telling the truth is to check the facts on the ground.
Dr. Mohammed Majeed
Slide 9

Continuation
• NB. When a dispute still exists after clarifying the ambiguity
in the usage of a word between two parties then that
dispute is a substantive dispute but if the dispute dissolves
then it is a verbal dispute.

METAPHORS AND PROVERBS
Topic Two

• Metaphors and proverbs involve vague use of language
that carries many associations. They are the type o
sentences that can carry more than one meaning
simultaneously and which also have different functions,
depending on the circumstances.
• METAPHORS:- A figure of speech in which a word or phrase
is used to describe an object or action with which it does
not normally have an association in order to imply a
connection.
• PROVERBS:- They are phrases that embody some advice or
commonly believed fact. They can also be referred to as
axioms, truisms, clichés and adages.
METAPHORS AND PROVERBS

Continuation
• Examples of metaphors and proverbs are;
1.Time is money.(metaphor)
2.Juliet is the apple of my eye.(metaphor)
3.Life is war.(metaphor)
4.Birds of a feather flock together.(proverb)
5.When a palm-branch reaches its height, it gives way for a fresh one to
grow.(proverb)
. Understanding metaphors and proverbs depends so much
upon the situation and mood and reception and background
knowledge or preparedness of listeners to appreciate and
interpret the multiplicity of the meaning of metaphors and
proverbs. Individuals can read their own meanings into
metaphors and proverbs.

Continuation
• Thus metaphors and proverbs cannot be relied upon to
convey a single objective meaning. They are useful in
inspiring, motivating and advising and to speak on topics that
are socially powerful and highly charged.
• NB. To be very clear and straight forward in conveying
information it is usually best to avoid metaphorical and
proverbial expressions. This is because their interpretations
are open-ended and indecisive.
• For instance, referring to kwame as a lion, he might interpret
it to mean that he is an animal and for that matter lives in the
forest when you intend to mean that he is brave or
courageous.

COMMON LINGUISTIC VICES
Topic Three

• Linguistic vices refer to the bad ways in which we sometimes
explain our thoughts.
• When we convey information to other people we make certain
errors that distort the effectiveness of the communication such
that others misinterpret or misunderstand the information
conveyed. The goal of declarative speech is to be explicit and
clear as possible in describing, prescribing, generalizing and
predicting the states of affairs in the world.
• The vices we are looking at are:
• Vagueness, Ambiguity, and Equivocation.
What is a linguistic Vice.

Vagueness
• When the component words of a statement has not been
carefully considered such that more information need to be
conveyed to tell exactly what in the world the word refers to
then that statement is said to be vague.
• Example:
1. My officials are monitoring this situation very closely, and I
can promise that we shall take all appropriate measures to
ensure that the situation is resolved in a way that is fair to all
the parties involved. What are “appropriate measures”?
They could be anything or nothing. What does “fair to all the
parties” mean? We have no clear idea. They could mean
anything.
• NB. The point is to be more precise and specific.Dr. Mohammed Majeed Slide 17

Ambiguity
• When a word or phrase or statement conveys more than one
meaning then we say that expression is ambiguous.
• Examples:
1.I rode a black horse in red pajamas. This could mean either
the black horse was in red pajamas when you rode it but you
intend to mean you were in a red pajamas when you rode the
black horse
2.John took off his trousers by the bank. Did he do that by a
building(financial institution) or by the edge of a river?
3.The passerby helps dog bite victim. Is the passerby helping a
dog bite someone? Or is he helping a person bitten by a dog?
It’s not clear.

Equivocation
• When a word is used more than once in the same context
without any signal of the shift in connotation with the
intention to manipulate or persuade then we say there is an
error of equivocation. When the same word is used with two
different meanings.
• Examples:
1.I don't see how you can say you are an ethical person. It is so
hard to get you to do anything; your work ethic is so bad.
2.Sure philosophy helps you argue better, but do we really
need to encourage people to argue? There's enough hostility
in this world.

TYPES OF DISCOURSE REVEALED IN
PASSAGES.
Topic Four

• A discourse is a unit of connected speeches or writings
longer than a sentence in the form of a passage either to
covey an argument, narrate an event, or give a set of
instructions or to express a verbal – self assertions using
rhetoric or polemic.
• The types of discourse revealed in passages are
• Narrative
• Instruction
• Rhetorical polemic
• Argument
Discourse revealed in passages

Narratives
• This is a passage which reports a sequence of events
in order of their occurrence. The sentences are
ordered according to time.
• Example:
1. I was about five years old when my sister informed me that I was too old to still be riding a bike with
training wheels. That was the time I decided not to depend on them anymore. Even though I had some
doubt, my sister and I went outside and started to take the little wheels off my bike. After my bike went
through the transformation, I was now ready for the big moment. With butterflies in my stomach, I slowly
got on the bike, and with my shaky hands, I gripped the handles tightly. Meanwhile my sister was holding
on to me to help keep my balance. I was so afraid that she would let go, yet I was determined to ride this
bike on my own. Next with a little push from her, I started to peddle. The faster my bike went the faster my
heart raced. Finally I looked back nervously and noticed that my sister let go of my bike a long time ago. I
was so excited that I accomplished freedom on my bike that I forgot to peddle. The next step I remember, I
was lying on the ground, yet I did not care because of the adrenaline rush. I will never forget the
exhilarating moment and growing up stage of riding a bike without training wheels.
~© Fallon Fauque 2005~

Instruction
• This is a passage that gives description or sequence of things
to do in a specified order; it might also provide a list of
directives to follow to accomplish some desired effect, like a
prescription.
• Example.
1.If you are from Legon campus and you want to go to Madina,
get to the Okponglo junction and wait for any of the
commercial buses. Listen carefully to any of the bus
conductors that mentions Madina. Get onboard one of the
buses. As you sit down, you make your 1 Ghana cedi ready to
be given to the conductor of the commercial bus and you tell
him/her that you will get down at Madina.

Rhetorical Polemic
• This is a passage that communicates (usually strong) feeling
or persuasively vents an opinion.
• Examples:
1.The politicians want vote. You can see they are corrupt. So
don't trust any politician.
2.I hate running these lab tests. Every time I am exposed the
diseased plants I fall ill.
3.What does the ECG think it is doing with the poor service of
power supply. I wont pay any electricity bill again and let us
see who will dare to take me to court.

Argument
• An argument is a passage that is made up of statements
typically used to persuade someone of something or to
present reasons for accepting a conclusion. It has two parts
the premises and the conclusion.
• PREMISES:- is a statement in an argument that provide reason or support
for the conclusion. There can be one or many premises in a single
argument.
• CONCLUSION:- is a statement in an argument that indicates of what the
arguer is trying to convince the reader/listener to accept. There can
be only one conclusion in a single argument.

Indicators of premises and
conclusion of an argument.
• The following will guide you to identify statements which
are premises and those which are conclusions.
• PREMISES:- Because, in light of, since, given that, provided
etc.
• CONCLUSION:- Hence, therefore, consequently, so, as a result,
thus, then, we can conclude that etc.
NB: These indicators will lead you to be able to identify the
statements which are premises or conclusion. However take
caution of the fact that it is not always the case that when
any of the indicators appear in a passage that the passage
becomes an argument.

Examples of Argument
• Jesse is one year old. Most one-year-olds can walk. It follows
that Jesse can walk.
• Since the housing market is depressed and interest rates are
low, it's a good time to buy a home.
• China is guilty of extreme human rights abuses. Further, they
refuse to implement democratic reforms. Thus, the U.S.
should refuse to deal with the present Chinese government.
• When the accident occurred there were no witnesses.
Without witnesses you cannot claim insurance. Without
insurance you have to pay for repairs yourself. So I will have to
pay for repairs my self.
• Task identify the conclusion in the above arguments.

CRITICAL THINKING Session slide 5

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CRITICAL THINKING Session slide 5