Skill 4:  Identifying Position and Conclusion

Types of position

By definition, positions naturally fall into twotypes: objective and subjective ones. An objective position is one whose truthor falsity is independent of whether we think it is true or false. For example,a statement like “There is life on Mars” is an objective position because whetherthere is life there does not depend on whether we think there is. Not allpositions are objective. For example, “Ronald Reagan was a great president” isnot objective because whether or not“Ronald Reagan was agreat president” does depend on whether we think he was. If few people think he was, thenhe was not. It is a matter of opinion or belief. Positions of this type aresubjective ones. In other words, whether a subjective position is true or falseis not independent of whether we think it is true or false. What we as arguersneed to do is to use solid evidence, strong reasoning or any other methods toargue for or against it. Some would also consider objective positions as positionsof fact and subjective ones as positions of value and positions o policy.

Positions of fact

Positions of fact assert that something is true ornot true.

For example:

-- Men have more opportunities than women in oursociety.

-- Teenagers whose parents value education are morelikely to attend college.

Positions of value

Positions of value assert that something is good orbad, more or less desirable.

For example:

-- Viewing television is a wasteful activity.

-- The central message of all competition is thatother people are potential obstacles to one’s own success.

-- Globalization has spurred inequality – bothamong citizens in the wealthiest countries as well as among nations of thedeveloping world.

Positions of policy

Positions of policy assert that one course ofaction is superior to another.

For example:

- There should still be colleges and schools justfor boys and some just for girls.

-- Universities should require every student totake a variety of courses outside the student’s field of study.

-- Restrictions should be placed on the use ofmobile phones in public areas like restaurants and theater.

How to evaluate a position?

It is easy to make a position but not easy to makea good position. We need to learn how to evaluate positions since this is animportant beginning step in learning to write an argument.

Here are some questions we can ask ourselves whenreviewing our position. If the responses to all of them are YES, then it may bea good one.

• Have I taken aposition that other might challenge or opposed? If the position simply states facts that no one would, or could, disagreewith, it is highly possible that we are simply providing a summary rather thangiving a position.

• Is my positionspecific enough? Positions that aretoo vague are often not sufficiently strong. If the position contains wordslike “good” or “successful”, we should see if we could be more specific: why issomething “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?

• Does my argumentsupport my position specifically and without digressing? If the position and the whole argument do not seem to go together, one ofthem has to change. It’s always fine to change the position to reflect newperceptions that have occurred to us in the course of writing the argument.

Link Between Position andConclusion

Position:  A point of view or a claim, supported byreasoning.

Conclusion: An end point drawnfrom the reasoning. It can also be a deduction drawn from the reasons orevidence.

So, ‘position’ and ‘conclusion’ may look similar, or the author’s positionmay be hidden in the conclusion. Conclusion responds to and supports position.

How to locate the conclusion?

Activity 1:

Read the following positions, identify their types.

1. 1.   Since more and morejobs are opening in computer-related fields, colleges should require courses incomputer science.

2. 2.   Everyone should takea course in logic. It helps you to think clearly.

3. 3.   No one can look backon his schooldays and say with truth that they were altogether unhappy.

4. 4.   It is the supremeart of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.

5. 5.   Education is anindivisible part of the prosperity of the nation. The more educated andcultured people there are in a country, the more flourishing and thrifty thecountry is.

6. 6.   The mass media,including TV, radio, and newspapers have a great influence on people and especiallyon the younger generation. They play an important role in shaping the opinionsand positions of the younger generation.

7. 7.   Do not train a childto learn by using force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amusestheir minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy thepeculiar bent of the genius of each.

8. 8.   Foreign capitalinvestment in Third World countries is not the way for those countries toimprove the average living standards of their people.

9. 9.   Giving in toterrorist demands is rarely, if ever, a good policy.

10. 10.Recessions areperiods of reduced economic activity.

11. 11.Sex education shouldbe increased in schools in an attempt to curb problems like teenage pregnancy.

12. 12.College studentsshould have complete freedom to choose their own courses.

13. 13.Rainforestdestruction should be prohibited.

14. 14.To encourage healthyeating, higher taxes should be imposed on soft drinks and junk food.

15. 15.College students inChina should be offered financial incentives to graduate in three years ratherthan four.

16. 16.The movie ratingsystem should be introduced in China as soon as possible.

Activity 2: Read each argument carefully andjudge which sentence(s) indicate the author's position and conclusion. Choosemore than one sentence if necessary. 

Argument 1

①   Be an optimist. ②There is not much use being anything else.

Argument 2

①Happiness cannotcome from without, it must come from within. ②Happiness is a stateof a person’s mind – the reflection of what she/ he is deep down. ③It is notdetermined by any external condition; ④the feeling amillionaire derives from his/her money cannot be called happiness, it is onlygreed.

Argument 3

①The evils of theworld are due to moral defects quite as much as to lack of intelligence. ②But the humanrace has not hitherto discovered any method of eradicating moral defects…Intelligence, on the contrary, is easily improved by methods known to everycompetent educator. ③Therefore, untilsome method of teaching virtue has been discovered, progress will have to besought by improvement of intelligence rather than of morals.

Argument 4

①If you study other cultures, then you realize what a variety of humancustoms there is. ②If you realize what a variety of human customsthere is, then you question your own custom. ③If you question yourwon customs, then you become more tolerant. ④Therefore, if you study other cultures, you become more tolerant.

Argument 5

①Some people have questioned the judge’s objectivity in cases of sexdiscrimination against women. ②But the record shows that in 60% of such cases, thejudge has decided in favor of the women. ③This recorddemonstrates that the judge has not discriminated against women in cases of sexdiscrimination against women.

Argument 6

①It was initiallybelieved that young children could not understand other people’s points of viewor undertake tasks such as counting and measuring until they were at leastseven years of age. ②However, it seems the problem does not lie in children’s capacity to dothese things so much as in their understanding of what is being asked and why. ③If there isno obvious purpose, or they do not understand the language used, children findtasks difficult. ④Even young children can perform tasks formerly considered too advanced forthem, as long as these are set up in ways that make sense to them. ⑤Problems thatinvolve teddies or drinks, for example, may be meaningful to a very youngchild, whereas tasks with counters and beakers are not.