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Give Them an Argument Paperback – May 31, 2019

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 429 ratings

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'Ben Burgis understands that in order to persuade people to join a political movement, you have to master the techniques of rigorous argumentation. He masterfully exposes the cheap sophistry of right-wing 'philosophy' and shows why there's still a place for logic and reason in political discourse. This is a crucial handbook for those who want to 'crush' and 'destroy' the Ben Shapiros of the world.' Nathan Robinson, Editor, Current Affairs

Many serious leftists have learned to distrust talk of logic and logical fallacies, associated with right-wing "logicbros". This is a serious mistake. Unlike the neoliberal technocrats, who can point to social problems and tell people "trust us", the serious Left must learn how to argue and persuade. In Give Them an Argument, Ben Burgis arms his reader with the essential knowledge of formal logic and informal fallacies.


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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ben Burgis has a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Miami. He is a science fiction writer whose work has appeared in publications such as Tor.com and in Prime Books. Burgis now teaches at Rutgers University, New Jersey.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Zer0 Books (May 31, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1789042100
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1789042108
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.51 x 0.29 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 429 ratings

About the author

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Ben Burgis
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Ben Burgis is a philosophy instructor, a columnist for Jacobin Magazine and the host of the Give Them An Argument podcast and YouTube show.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
429 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book insightful, concise, and easy to read. They also find it entertaining, rewarding, and wonderful. Readers mention the author is humorous and clear.

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15 customers mention "Insight"15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and a great introduction to logic. They say it offers a framework of analysis that is practical and approachable. Readers also appreciate the cogent arguments from a well-reasoned perspective.

"...We are also treated to an interesting analysis of the american socialist movement through the lens of Trotsky's understanding of logic and the..." Read more

"...Still, the writing is rather good and I did find the book entertaining, particularly some of his deconstructive take-downs of Shapiro and the rest..." Read more

"...This book offers a great introduction and tour through some of the most important pillars and philosophies which govern how logic really operates..." Read more

"...But overall, this does a good job at introducing logical concepts and why they're important in making arguments...." Read more

14 customers mention "Enjoyment"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, rewarding, and concise. They say it's clear, accessible, and lucid. Readers also mention the book is important to Western philosophy and a great introduction.

"...While the book is very entertaining, offering humor and humility alongside analysis- It has a lot more to offer than just a list of fallacies to be..." Read more

"...I will most definitely recommend Burgis’ accessible and important book to my Western philosophy and ethics students; I know they will benefit from..." Read more

"...Still, the writing is rather good and I did find the book entertaining, particularly some of his deconstructive take-downs of Shapiro and the rest..." Read more

"...This book is rewarding, entertaining, well paced, and concise. Another fine edition to the Zer0 Books collection." Read more

3 customers mention "Humor"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book humorous. They say it's intellectually honest and clear.

"...While the book is very entertaining, offering humor and humility alongside analysis- It has a lot more to offer than just a list of fallacies to be..." Read more

"1. This book is short. Short is good. Burgis is also pretty humorous, so you could read this in a weekend without trying too hard.2...." Read more

"...ideologies we inhabit with intellectual honesty and does so with humor and clarity...." Read more

3 customers mention "Shortness"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book short and not very technical. They also say it's a fun read.

"1. This book is short. Short is good. Burgis is also pretty humorous, so you could read this in a weekend without trying too hard.2...." Read more

"It's short and enjoyable, but I was hoping for something more practically useful when supporting leftism...." Read more

"Short, not very technical. A little snarky. Fun read...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2019
Give them an argument is a must read if you have any online discussions involving politics, current events, and especially if you watch commentary on youtube. Ben Burgis teaches logic for a living alongside being a longtime socialist and recent podcast guest extraordinaire. In GTA Ben tackles logic and politics in a couple different ways.

Using the popular and alt media from both the right and the left Ben sets about to teach us reasoning skills. We are given a brief survey of modern right wing commentary and the misappropriation of logic, alongside a sometimes tongue in cheek leftist regection of logic. While explaining and countering various popular right wing arguments we get real life examples and in depth explanations of various logical fallacies (ad hoc, post hoc ergo proper hoc, begging the question, ect) and an argument for why this is important, why reason matters.

While the book is very entertaining, offering humor and humility alongside analysis- It has a lot more to offer than just a list of fallacies to be repeated during online arguments. Some of the most interesting bits include a dissection of the libertarian concept of the "non aggression principle" or NAP. Here we get into more philosophical ideas such as degrees of autonomy, what constitutes legitimate property, positive and negative liberty, and political and social values. Incorporating libertarian heavyweights such as Nozak, Rand and Rothbard, Burgis offers some of the most compelling critiques of the heart of libertarian philosophy.

We are also treated to an interesting analysis of the american socialist movement through the lens of Trotsky's understanding of logic and the Hegelian dialectic, some analysis of corporate democrats, technocrats, and clintonites, a personal anecdote from going to highschool with nate silver, and even a 12 rules for reasoning ala IDW style.

The most important part of the book though is the constant message Ben Burgis is stringing throughout the book. The Aim of rationality is not to tear your oponite apart, it is to seek truth. Ben urges us to engage our higher faculties, slow the hell down and actually do the hard work of thinking.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2019
Other reviewers on this site have offered solid and thorough reviews of the overall content of Burgis’ book; some reviewers move chronologically, offering a helpful and informative chapter-by-chapter summary. These reviews are valuable and readers are encouraged to search them out. In this review, however, my principle of focus is the issue of authentic discourse, specifically, how the notion of rigorous discourse that Burgis develops - driven by logical and rational argumentation - stands apart from eristic, forensic debate, and rhetoric, i.e., dialogic practices seeking only to deny or negate, score victories, and persuade through various emotional appeals.

Nathan Robinson’s editorial review (back of book) lauds Burgis’ important contribution to political discourse; in truth, Robinson mischaracterizes this contribution, for according to Robinson, the book arms readers with the logical tools and techniques to “crush and destroy the Ben Shapiro’s of the world.” This is a radically disingenuous assessment of what the book ultimately has to say about and contribute to the reinvigoration of our current impoverished political discourse, and beyond, communicative or philosophical discourse.

Throughout the book, Burgis states emphatically that he is opposed to the type of “gotcha-argumentation” common to hard right-wingers who seek only to “talk about logic as a sort of mental weapon [to] use to defeat and humiliate ‘libtards’” (5). That is to say, the type of eristic argumentation consistent with much of the IDW; arguments constructed with the sole purpose of “crushing” and “destroying” opponents. In opposition, Burgis demonstrates a far more noble and Socratic concern, as it were, i.e., the philosophical-and-ethical concern for authentically and critically engaging others as “interlocutors” in the ever-renewed search for common and well-founded “truths” within a context of discourse where logical, rational consensus wins the day. We should view “the process of logical argumentation,” as Burgis rightly contends, in terms of a “collective search for truth rather than an attempt to reduce opponents to quivering piles of urine and soiled garments” (3).

Yes, this excellent little book offers “logic for the left,” but more appropriately, as intimated above, it is a solid and invaluable guide for the understanding and practice of rational-logical argumentation for all readers. So, it is something of a unique “critical thinking” text that embraces the inseparability of theory-and-praxis, and as opposed to the majority of academic logic and critical theory texts, which proximally and for the most part are written in the abstract, Burgis frames his expositions of deduction, induction, and abduction - and the type of fallacies associated with each of these forms of reasoning - in such ways that they “live” through both historical analyses and historical persons, e.g., Rand and Trotsky.

Thus, the value of Logic for the Left is far beyond merely providing instruction for identifying why certain arguments are deemed “valid” or “invalid” in form or “sound” or “unsound” in their conclusions. It is also important to note that Burgis speaks in some detail regarding the “fact-value” distinction most famously introduced by Hume - and later modified by Moore (naturalistic fallacy) - which assists readers in understanding and marking out the crucial (often overlooked) difference between the type of “truth” related to propositions and the type of “ethical/aesthetic” understanding associated with “normative” statements and interpretive discourse.

Importantly, Burgis contends that neither the book nor the practice of rational argumentation requires or advocates “a plea for civility,” and, I add, despite the common liberal perception of democratic discourse, it is not an egalitarian exercise in tolerance. This indicates that while there is an undeniable sense of “equality” bound up with authentic discourse, there is also, immanent within and by nature of the rigorous process itself (when carried out as a renewed process of dialogue), the emergence and presence of both inequality and intolerance. Let me explain: All are equally welcomed to contribute to the debate, but following the logical tenets for critical reasoning found in Burgis’ book, those positions that are rigorously argued and validated are epistemologically superior - and so “unequal”- to inferior, fallacious positions, which demand reassessment, reinterpretation, or, in the extreme, rejection. In addition, when committed to the practice of rational argumentation, an attitude of “intolerance” must be adopted toward those who steadfastly refuse to rethink things, those who dogmatically cling to positions despite the fact that they have been shown to be illogical, inconsistent, or contradictory – in essence, untenable.

When seeking to carefully formulate claims that are substantiated by compelling evidence, demonstrating logical consistency and avoiding fallacious forms of reasoning, the positive potential exists for logic and reason to inspire us to legitimately re-conceptualize the views we hold, contributing to both our personal betterment and that of the society. For indeed, as Burgis recognizes: “People do change their minds all the time, and arguments can and do play a role in this process, sometimes because they gradually gnaw at the back of your mind and sometimes because after enough time has passed that your ego isn’t bound up on some previously held position, you just realize to your own surprise that you now accept the contrary position for the very reasons that you dismissed when you first heard them” (20).

Burgis is admittedly a “socialist” and so he calls for a “collective” re-education ultimately grounded in “self-education,” but again, as stated above, what he writes about logical reasoning and the importance of authentic argumentation is transcendent and timeless - it’s as old as the “Greek hills.” This is because his view and practice of authentic rational discourse is required for the facilitation of all future forms and manifestations of democratic social-political reform, and this process as he describes is arduous, precarious, uncertain, and even dangerous, for it certainly necessitates what we might call the political right of parrhesia, that is to say, the type of argumentation Burgis advocates that is required for radical social change occurs only within encounters where truth and the reigning structures of power are challenged and called into question. Burgis expresses these sentiments when contending that authentic discourse always involves, “multitudes of people engaging each other to discuss and debate different plans of action, different schemes of social organization, different solutions to a thousand problems that can’t even be predicted” (88).

I believe this book will appeal to a wide range of readers. Those intimately familiar with the systematic, philosophical understanding of logic and reason will appreciate it. Those who might be unfamiliar with the more technical aspects of this subject will also benefit from the book’s content. For much like all talented scholars, Burgis nicely distills and communicates the essence of complex material through an accessible style in a digestible format. As the fall term approaches, I will most definitely recommend Burgis’ accessible and important book to my Western philosophy and ethics students; I know they will benefit from it greatly.

Per cover art: I reveled in the image of Hume silencing Shapiro!
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Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2020
As others have noted, a significant portion of this book is essentially a primer on the basics of logic, as in the actual mechanics of it. I am not as dismissive towards this as some seem to be, however. The reason for my "as in" addendum in the opening sentence is because I have come to notice over the past few years, a significant presence of people on social media and elsewhere who loudly proclaim their proficiency and respect for formal logic, without having the slightest idea as to what it actually is. They have a handful of fallacies they like to wield like bludgeons, as if it were some trump card they could play to "checkmate" their opposition. Magical words you need only utter to reduce your "debate" opponent to a quivering mass of shrieking, bubbling emotion. It seems the author has had similar observations, and so decided to write this book.

I will say that I didn't really learn anything new from this, being both already a committed leftist and fairly well-versed in formal logic and philosophy. Still, the writing is rather good and I did find the book entertaining, particularly some of his deconstructive take-downs of Shapiro and the rest of the YouTube logicbro crowd. Its primary value, entertainment aside, to me would be in passing it along to friends and family, particularly those who lean to the right.
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Top reviews from other countries

Robert Caple
5.0 out of 5 stars Lefties: Read This Book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2023
An excellent book for anyone who has (and enjoys) debates about important topics. It justifies the need to slow down and consider your argument before you make it, rather than following the trend of right-wing "political commentators" on YouTube who make snap arguments and only want to confuse you until you agree with them.
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John R.
5.0 out of 5 stars Ben's thoughts and arguments come across far better over writing than his insufferable web cam mic.
Reviewed in Canada on July 21, 2019
Great book, how could I not support this man after he provided me with multiple laughing fits by going on Jesse Peterson's show and dunking on him with the ferocity Michael Jordan.
D. Hawthorne
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Attempt at Constructing Arguments
Reviewed in Australia on November 6, 2019
Even though this book is directed at leftists (whoever they may be), the material covered would be useful for everybody. I think the book could be improved by devoting a chapter to in-depth analysis of a longer argument.

I have done university level courses in logic (through Cousera and EDX), and I agree with Prof. Burgis that the examples given are artificial and not applicable to the real world. Prof Burgis applies his analysis to real-world examples.

The material is presented in an accessible format. And the snippets of arguments given were analysed in detail. This certainly aided my comprehension of the material.

The part on symbolic logic would probably lose most of the general readership. Even though I knew where the author was going from my previous courses, he lost me at times.

My reason for suggesting a separate chapter on analysing a longer argument is that most real world ones encompass several methods and strategies. It would be good to see how these different approaches can be woven into a coherent whole.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Good item
Reviewed in Canada on May 30, 2021
Good item
Ewan Campbell
4.0 out of 5 stars Sound reasoning for debating.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 24, 2020
Having just finished Burgis’ “Give them an argument” I came away feeling slightly more prepared to rethink certain positions I hold politically (whether they be fiscal or just moral points) and ensure that any “logic” that I have used in the past holds up or could be improved.

The book certainly felt a bit laborious to get through when you get into the meat of the science behind logical fallacies, but the real points Burgis was making I felt were clear and concise. Some of the traps he pointed out that were all too common to fall into in arguments I have found myself guilty of and now know how to better defend against in the future.

Definitely a good read and would recommend, purely because of how short it is. It doesn’t take much time to get through, so even if you don’t feel like it was your cup of tea you won’t feel as if your time has been stolen!
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