Claim: The best test of an argument is its ability to convince someone with an opposing viewpoint
Reason: Only by being forced to defend an idea against the doubts and contrasting views of others does on really discover the value of that idea.
Being able to convince someone with an opposing viewpoint would be the best test of an argument in most scenarios, however, this may not always be the case. When rational logical arguments are being made in order to build up one’s case and when both parties in the debate are well informed, this would hold true.
An argument’s ability to convince someone should always be tested on a person with an opposing viewpoint, otherwise it would be a discussion of an argument with people who share the same belief and are more likely to be biased and open to the argument. However, putting forward the argument to someone with an opposing viewpoint, it opens up the ground for debate, doubts and a discussion of different views. The person with the opposing viewpoint would most likely be convinced only if the arguments put forward are cogent, coherent and logical. Often, I have found that talking to some one with an opposing view point results in a realisation about how little we think we know about the topic and hence extensive research can be done to build up a case.
However, this may not be true in all cases. For example, on matters that are about ethical and moral decisions, convincing the opposition is not so black and white. Each person would be reluctant to change his or her views based on the argument despite what is being said. For example, is euthanasia humane? Some would say it is for terminally ill patients while others would say that this is murder. Everyone has valid and completely true arguments for each case, however, convincing or not being able to convince someone of the opposing viewpoint does not mean that the argument is flawed or that is it not a “good enough” argument. It would just imply that there are other things that have lead a person to take such a state point and the logical cogent of the argument is not at fault.
Being force to defend one’s idea against contrasting and contradicting views may well be a good way to discover the value of the idea however that does not make it the best argument. For example, political party support. Everyone has different core values and different socioeconomical values. I may be a big supporter of one party whose biggest policy concerns itself with education while my friend might be the biggest supporter of another part whose biggest policy is concerned with health. These ideas are not contrasting or opposing but still, we are in support of the opposing party. Any argument I may make for my party would not reduce the validity or value of the opposing party and so in this case, the best case of an argument would not be to convince someone with an opposing viewpoint.
On the whole, the best test of an argument would be to be able to convince someone of the opposition opinion. However, this should be thought of like the gold standard of what a good argument looks like. But the reality is more black and white than that, as this would not necessarily hold true in all situations.
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 3, column 589, Rule ID: ANY_BODY[1]
Message: Did you mean 'someone'?
Suggestion: someone
...al. Often, I have found that talking to some one with an opposing view point results in ...
^^^^^^^^
Line 5, column 610, Rule ID: EN_A_VS_AN
Message: Use 'an' instead of 'a' if the following word starts with a vowel sound, e.g. 'an article', 'an hour'
Suggestion: an
...he argument is flawed or that is it not a 'good enough' argument. It wo...
^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
but, hence, however, if, look, may, so, still, well, while, for example, in all cases, on the whole
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 39.0 19.5258426966 200% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 21.0 12.4196629213 169% => OK
Conjunction : 21.0 14.8657303371 141% => OK
Relative clauses : 14.0 11.3162921348 124% => OK
Pronoun: 34.0 33.0505617978 103% => OK
Preposition: 63.0 58.6224719101 107% => OK
Nominalization: 17.0 12.9106741573 132% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 2486.0 2235.4752809 111% => OK
No of words: 526.0 442.535393258 119% => OK
Chars per words: 4.72623574144 5.05705443957 93% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.78901763229 4.55969084622 105% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.55097732049 2.79657885939 91% => OK
Unique words: 220.0 215.323595506 102% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.41825095057 0.4932671777 85% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted.
syllable_count: 788.4 704.065955056 112% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.5 1.59117977528 94% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 10.0 6.24550561798 160% => OK
Article: 4.0 4.99550561798 80% => OK
Subordination: 2.0 3.10617977528 64% => OK
Conjunction: 1.0 1.77640449438 56% => OK
Preposition: 2.0 4.38483146067 46% => More preposition wanted as sentence beginning.
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 22.0 20.2370786517 109% => OK
Sentence length: 23.0 23.0359550562 100% => OK
Sentence length SD: 62.3945887938 60.3974514979 103% => OK
Chars per sentence: 113.0 118.986275619 95% => OK
Words per sentence: 23.9090909091 23.4991977007 102% => OK
Discourse Markers: 4.5 5.21951772744 86% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 4.97078651685 101% => OK
Language errors: 2.0 7.80617977528 26% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 12.0 10.2758426966 117% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 8.0 5.13820224719 156% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 2.0 4.83258426966 41% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.396537183986 0.243740707755 163% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.12393568623 0.0831039109588 149% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.11989590249 0.0758088955206 158% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.241326345763 0.150359130593 160% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.084264948834 0.0667264976115 126% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 12.8 14.1392134831 91% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 56.59 48.8420337079 116% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 7.92365168539 39% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 11.1 12.1743820225 91% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 10.45 12.1639044944 86% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 7.36 8.38706741573 88% => OK
difficult_words: 86.0 100.480337079 86% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 17.5 11.8971910112 147% => OK
gunning_fog: 11.2 11.2143820225 100% => OK
text_standard: 11.0 11.7820224719 93% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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Rates: 66.67 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 4.0 Out of 6
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Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.