In Dale Stephens' essay "College Is A Waste of Time", he brings about an important argument: Is going to college worth it? There are those who think that college is a waste of time and the others who believe that college is mandatory for a good future. However, in order to properly voice out those opinions, there is a certain structure to follow in order to ensure an effective argument.
This particular structure is referred to as the Four Pillars of Argument. The first pillar would be a thesis which includes the main point that you're trying to prove. Next would be the evidence. The evidence is what makes your thesis statement stronger and would help your audience see your side clearer. Third would be a refutation. A refutation addresses the other side of the argument in order to discredit the other side making your side stronger. Lastly, to close up the argument you use a concluding statement in order to tie in your point and refocus your argument.
We can use Stephen's essay as an example of using the four pillars. The first pillar can be located in paragraph 2. The thesis of the essay is located in the last sentence when he says, "Our creativity, innovation, and creativity is schooled out of us."
The second pillar can be located in paragraphs 3, 4, 6, and 8. In paragraph 3 he mentions that what college fails at is empowering their students to have the gain the skills necessary to become productive members of the economy. In the fourth paragraph, he mentions a statistic about the inflation of the price of college. Stephen also mentions in the book, Academically Adrift, more than a quarter of students who went through two to four years of college hadn't shown improvement in critical thinking or complex reasoning. In paragraph 6, he mentions those who became successful without the help of a college degree. Lastly, in paragraph 8, Stephen mentions that people get degrees in order to communicate to employers that they are capable for the job. However, he also states that the internet is taking over that role. Instead of looking for degrees, employers are looking for experience and portfolios that can easily be reached online. All of these ideas and statements are forms of evidence which helps Stephens' thesis more feasible. The refutation can be found in paragraph 9. Stephen mentions that there are some degrees that do require formal education. Especially if you are becoming a doctor, you can't have access to cadavers in your home, therefore, you need the resources of a college. The concluding statement can be found in the last paragraph. He states, "We who take our education outside and beyond the classroom understand how actions build a better world."
Stephens appeals to his audience by using a combination of ethos, logos, and pathos. He uses ethos when he mentions statistics, books, and other outside resources. The use of this rhetoric causes the reader to trust this information being given since it seems like the information is coming from a reliable source. His use of pathos is shown in the beginning of the essay when he introduces the topic. He uses passionate language when he says that the college education system is broken. This would cause the audience to feel what he is feeling. Lastly, he uses logos when he explains in the second paragraph what college is actually doing to our youth. By saying that college schools us out of being creative and innovative. This makes the audience call on their experiences to make sense of if school helped or took away their creativity and critical thinking.
This particular structure is referred to as the Four Pillars of Argument. The first pillar would be a thesis which includes the main point that you're trying to prove. Next would be the evidence. The evidence is what makes your thesis statement stronger and would help your audience see your side clearer. Third would be a refutation. A refutation addresses the other side of the argument in order to discredit the other side making your side stronger. Lastly, to close up the argument you use a concluding statement in order to tie in your point and refocus your argument.
We can use Stephen's essay as an example of using the four pillars. The first pillar can be located in paragraph 2. The thesis of the essay is located in the last sentence when he says, "Our creativity, innovation, and creativity is schooled out of us."
The second pillar can be located in paragraphs 3, 4, 6, and 8. In paragraph 3 he mentions that what college fails at is empowering their students to have the gain the skills necessary to become productive members of the economy. In the fourth paragraph, he mentions a statistic about the inflation of the price of college. Stephen also mentions in the book, Academically Adrift, more than a quarter of students who went through two to four years of college hadn't shown improvement in critical thinking or complex reasoning. In paragraph 6, he mentions those who became successful without the help of a college degree. Lastly, in paragraph 8, Stephen mentions that people get degrees in order to communicate to employers that they are capable for the job. However, he also states that the internet is taking over that role. Instead of looking for degrees, employers are looking for experience and portfolios that can easily be reached online. All of these ideas and statements are forms of evidence which helps Stephens' thesis more feasible. The refutation can be found in paragraph 9. Stephen mentions that there are some degrees that do require formal education. Especially if you are becoming a doctor, you can't have access to cadavers in your home, therefore, you need the resources of a college. The concluding statement can be found in the last paragraph. He states, "We who take our education outside and beyond the classroom understand how actions build a better world."
Stephens appeals to his audience by using a combination of ethos, logos, and pathos. He uses ethos when he mentions statistics, books, and other outside resources. The use of this rhetoric causes the reader to trust this information being given since it seems like the information is coming from a reliable source. His use of pathos is shown in the beginning of the essay when he introduces the topic. He uses passionate language when he says that the college education system is broken. This would cause the audience to feel what he is feeling. Lastly, he uses logos when he explains in the second paragraph what college is actually doing to our youth. By saying that college schools us out of being creative and innovative. This makes the audience call on their experiences to make sense of if school helped or took away their creativity and critical thinking.
I agree with you. We had the same thesis statement and also we had the same idea that the author was trying to point out to do something else rather than going to college because you'll just end up wasting time while you could be learning a career without it.
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