Raising Objections

In Chapter 7, Epstein talks about different types of counter-arguments. One counter-argument that I found interesting was raising objections. In this section, Epstein mentioned that when students encounter arguments they usually counter it with a question. For example, one student may respond “why should I drive a car?” This argument is not wrong, but it seems to be irrational. Epstein teaches us rather than questioning the argument we should raise an objection. For instance, for the same example we can say driving a car will save you time than walking. In this example, we are explaining why a person should drive rather than leaving the person with an open ended question for them to answer themselves.


By raising an objection we are able to show that an argument is bad. Another example is one that was used in the book is “Everyone should ride a bicycle for transportation.” Following this statement in the book are several reasons why a bicycle is better. For example, Epstein talked about cars are expensive and bicycle have a better appeal.


This chapter taught me a better understanding of countering arguments and how to convey your reasons more effectively.