Rogerian
Argumentative Essay Assignment
The
Basics:
3-4.5 typed pages (8-11 paragraphs). You might write this in the form of a
letter, but I will encourage you to write it as a straight essay.
Overview:
Psychologist Carl Rogers had a theory about why people
disagree. He felt that other
psychologists had over-rated the extent to which our disagreements have a
rational basis. He argued, instead,
that most disagreements grow out of a natural impulse to possess. For example, when we fight with our brothers
for control of the TV remote, it isn’t usually because we think we have justice
on our side or even because we don’t want to watch what he’s watching; it’s
usually because we feel possessive about the remote even though it doesn’t
really matter all that much in its own right.
Rogers suggested that we might be able to erase a lot of
disagreements if we could get ourselves to acknowledge how much we actually
have in common with those with whom we disagree. If we can teach ourselves to regard arguments dispassionately ¾ if we can look at other people’s arguments as carefully
as we look at our own ¾ then we
will find that many of our conflicts simply vanish.
The first step in such an approach is to put your
opponent’s position into your own words.
Try to write the argument you disagree with in such a way that your
opponent could nod and say, “yeah, that’s my point.” Take 3-5 paragraphs to describe that position without allowing
yourself to interrupt and explain why that position is “wrong.” Be patient and explore the position in
detail.
Then, you should go ahead and articulate “your”
position. The trick is, however, that
you should try not to think of it as “your” position. Once you’ve given the other side a good hearing, explain another
perspective on the question with the same patience.
In the end, you may find that such a patient examination
of the matter leads you to some middle ground.
You might not be able to find a compromise, but you should at least be
able to reduce whatever it is you disagree about to a more manageable size.
Appropriate
topics:
Finding a topic to write about is one of the most
difficult elements of this assignment.
You might consider arguments or misunderstandings you have with some of
the people to whom you are closest, your parents, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a
spouse, or a child, for instance. You
might also think about disagreements you have with specific institutions such
as Oakton, the Illinois Secretary of State’s drivers licensing authority, or
your landlord.
I urge you to avoid topics such as abortion and prayer in
school. There are a lot of such
arguments out there, but it is often difficult to locate a particular
individual or group with a particular position. As a result, it becomes too easy to caricature the other
position. Instead, have a specific
group, program, or individual in mind.
Some
pitfalls:
It can be difficult to argue someone else’s position
patiently. I have seen many people
write this sort of an essay and interrupt themselves throughout the
beginning. Keep in mind that you do not
necessarily have to endorse what you write; if you truly disagree with
something, putting it in the best possible light will help you recognize the
extent of your disagreement. It might
help you to think about coherent paragraphs; when the main idea of a paragraph
is one you disagree with, you should register that disagreement in some other
paragraph.
It can also be difficult to sustain a tone of
understanding throughout the essay. I
have seen a lot of essays where people began by writing sympathetically but
then turned harsher. Keep in mind that
Rogers’ theory has to do with psychology; it argues that we disagree for
irrational reasons. Try to sound as
calm and rational throughout as you can.
The most challenging part of this essay to write is
probably the middle, where you make a transition from one position to
another. On the one hand, that is
usually where the matter of tone is its trickiest; you have to find some way to
say “yes, but...” without unsaying everything you have just said. On the other, the transition is really where
you write your topic paragraph. Since
you do disagree with what the other side says, you don’t begin to talk about
your own position ¾ your own reason for
writing the essay ¾ until you’re halfway
through it. Avoid stating your position
too boldly; you were patient with the other position, and you will need to be
patient with your own.
Features
of the best essays:
The best of these essays manage to take a legitimate
disagreement and transform it. Even if
you cannot “solve” a crisis, you can make it look different and less
contested.
Try to confront some of the issues that matter most to
you, and you may find that Rogers’ approach really can clarify things for
you.
Finally, keep in mind the challenge this essay presents in
the subtle tone it demands from you.
This is an opportunity to sound like a diplomat when you’re dealing with
issues close to home.