Rebuttals

Rebuttal Definition

Every time you present an argument, your aim is to convince your audience to agree with you that a particular action or idea is somehow right or wrong.

An argument, by definition, is a perspective on a topic that has an opposing point of view. So by taking a stance and presenting an argument on a topic or issue, you must acknowledge there is an opposite perspective, ready with a counterargument (or counterclaim).

Because you know there is always a counterargument to your argument, it’s wise to prepare a rebuttal to any potential differing perspectives that are likely to arise out of the conversation. A rebuttal is a response to someone’s counterclaim about an original argument.

Concession: Counterclaim and Rebuttal

To compose a thorough argument, you should consider the counterclaims that are likely to arise in response to your claim and include a rebuttal in your concession.

Whether you’re writing an argumentative essay or writing out a debate, the concession is the section of your argument that you devote to acknowledging the opposing argument(s).

A concession is not necessary to make a solid argument; you could argue your point completely and logically without one. However, a concession will build your credibility as an authority on the topic because it demonstrates that you thought about the issue globally. By simply recognizing that there are other perspectives in the discussion at hand, the speaker or writer shows themselves to be a mature, well-rounded thinker who is trustworthy. In this case, the audience is more likely to agree with your stance.

In a concession, you might simply acknowledge the major opposing argument, or you might also offer a rebuttal.

How to Include a Rebuttal in a Concession

If you feel your audience might be likely to side with your opposition, you can use your rebuttal to either offer additional evidence that your argument is more valid, or to help the audience see the error in your opponent’s claims.

Fig. 2- Concession is a literary device used in argumentative writing and is a hallmark of a conscientious thinker.

To illustrate the inaccuracy of the counterargument, try offering evidence that makes the counterargument impossible or unlikely. If there is any data or factual evidence to suggest that the opposing side’s claim isn’t likely to be true or even possible, then include that information in your rebuttal.

You can also point out any flaws in reasoning; start at the beginning of the conversation and follow the steps one would have to take to reach the conclusion they’re suggesting. Did you come across any inductive or deductive flaws?

You can also attack the logic of the counterargument. Does the opposition use a logical fallacy to make their claim?

Here are a few ways that logical fallacies are often used in an argument:

• Attacking the speaker (rather than the argument)

• Appealing to audience’s bandwagon impulse

• Presenting part of the truth

• Arousing fear

• Inaccurate connections

• Twisting language around

• Evidence and conclusion mismatch

If you can identify any of these fallacies in the counterargument of your opposition, you can bring this up in your rebuttal. This will render your opponent’s argument invalid, or at the very least weaken it.

Types of Rebuttal and Examples

There are three different types of rebuttals you can use to argue against the counterclaims posed by your opponent: your rebuttal can attack assumptions, relevance, or logic leaps.

Rebuttal Attacking Assumptions

In this type of rebuttal, the key is to point out flaws regarding unfair or unwise assumptions in the other argument. For example, imagine you’re writing an argument that age appropriate video games are a safe and fun pastime for kids, but your opponent says video games have caused a rise in violent behavior in children. Your rebuttal could look like this:

This rebuttal attacks the assumptions (i.e. video games cause violent behavior) at the foundation of the counterargument posed.

Rebuttal Attacking Relevance

The next type of rebuttal attacks the relevance of the opponent’s counterargument. If you can point out that the counterclaim is irrelevant to your original argument, then you can render it useless.

For instance, say you’re arguing that homework doesn’t promote learning in students. The opposing argument might be that homework doesn’t take that much time. Your rebuttal could be:

The counterclaim is irrelevant, and so the best rebuttal here is to point out that fact.

Rebuttal Attacking Logic Leap

The last type of rebuttal attacks the lack of logical links an argument uses to get to its conclusion. For example, say you're arguing that there should not be a universal language that everyone speaks around the world, but your opposition says that there should be a universal language because many governmental officials around the globe already speak English.

The counterargument took a leap in logic to suggest that English might be the global language, when the original argument hadn’t mentioned English at all. The counterargument also takes a logical leap in supposing that just because a representative of a country speaks a particular language means that the average citizen speaks it as well.

Rebuttal in an Argumentative Essay

The goal of writing an argumentative essay is to get your reader to agree with your stance on a particular topic.

Rebuttals are important to argumentative writing because they give you the opportunity to address those other perspectives and prove that you are a fair-minded authority on the subject. Rebuttals also offer an opportunity to voice your response as to why they claims of the opposition are not true or accurate.

An argumentative essay is composed of a main argument (also known as a thesis statement) which is supported by smaller ideas or claims. Each of these mini claims is made into the subject of a body paragraph of the essay. Below is an example of a how a body paragraph of an argumentative essay is constructed:

Body Paragraph

1. Topic sentence (mini claim)

2. Evidence

3. Concession

   1. Acknowledge counterclaim

   2. Rebuttal

You can include a rebuttal after acknowledging the counterclaim to the point made in the topic sentence of the body paragraph. You can do this for every counterclaim you feel is important to address.

Rebuttal in a Persuasive Essay

The goal of writing a persuasive essay is to get your reader to agree that your point is valid and deserves consideration. The goal of persuasive writing is more single-minded than argumentative writing, so including a concession is less constructive.

Rather than including a concession for each smaller claim in your essay, you might consider only including a concession for the main claim, and only doing so if it is crucial to convince your audience that your claim is more valid. You could devote a short paragraph to the concession of your main point, or add it to your conclusion.

Be sure to allow space for discussion of the topic, though. Don't just acknowledge the counterclaim and forget to offer your rebuttal. Remember, your rebuttal is the opportunity to let your argument stand up to its counterarguments, so take advantage of the opportunity.