Mastering the Four Arguments: The Classical Technique That Will Help You Write Persuasively

Learning to think well means learning to argue well. But it’s not easy: Teachers often say they spend more time teaching students how to write than covering their subject, and students often wonder what all the fuss is about. What’s the point when AI has all the answers anyway?

The truth is that writing persuasively has never been more important. In Mastering the Four Arguments, Dr. Gregory Roper makes it simple for teachers and students alike, revealing that underneath every broiling debate of our time, there are actually only four kinds of arguments.

These arguments are the core of stasis theory, devised two thousand years ago in ancient Rome to help lawyers and political orators cut past rhetorical distraction and identify the real point of controversy in any debate. Master the four arguments, and you’ll find writing papers and winning debates with friends much easier. And you’ll find that learning to argue well is a great first step toward something much bigger: By pursuing the truth, you’ll be on your way to learning to live well, too.

With its clear, straightforward approach, helpful exercises and examples, and notes for students and teachers alike, this book will make you the master of any argument.

Dr. Gregory Roper is Associate Professor of English and, since 2021, Dean of Students at the University of Dallas. He is a specialist in Middle English literature, having published on Chaucer and the Gawain-poet. His previous book, The Writer's Workshop, kicked off a renewed interest in teaching writing through the ancient, medieval, and Renaissance technique of imitation.