| 1. Convince Me 2. Define 3. Show Me 4. Specify 5. So What |
Establishes who has the burden of proof. Establishes a mutual use of terms. Establishes proof of factual assertions. Establishes missing information. Establishes the relevance of an assertion. |
Acknowledgment:
The most practical defense against fallacies is therefore to use two labels, one for irrelevant points that should be dismissed and one for relevant points that are missing. Let's keep these labels simple. Let's call one of them "So what?" and the other "Specify." Is this an oversimplification? You may call it
Flesch, Rudolf. The art of clear thinking. New York: Harper, 1951. Page 69. Print.