In a 1976 essay — “Interpreting the Variorum,” published in Critical Inquiry — I coined the term “interpretive community.” An interpretive community is not made up of persons who, because they share ...

An argument is not a fight. The art of argumentation—the ability to construct, present, and defend a thesis effectively – is at the heart of of academic discourse. The skill of crafting a compelling ...

On “Hardball” the other day, John McCain was confronted with his record of siding with the Bush White House on Iraq policy. McCain didn’t want to talk about the past. “We can look back at the past and ...

Yesterday the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Consumer Financial Protecion Bureau v. Community Financial Services Association of America, a case challenging the constitutionality of the manner in ...

“For-profit online program management companies provide positive value for institutions and students.” Please debate. No, really. We want to have these arguments. Argument is essential for the ...

Type to search articles, cases, and authors. Press ↵ to view all results. Savvy litigators can often guess the outcome of a Supreme Court case by observing the oral argument. But it might also be ...

The foundation of effective academic argumentation is a well-structured thesis. To build one, do the following: 1. Identify Your Central Claim: Your thesis should present a clear, arguable claim that ...