What is the argument method of "Shi Shuo"?

1. Define and draw conclusions

Ancient Chinese prose, especially before the Tang Dynasty, was not good at argument. Mencius and Xunzi, who were eloquent and eloquent, always used metaphors and fables in their argumentative articles. Help reasoning. In contrast, Han Yu's essay greatly surpassed his predecessors in logical thinking. This is reflected in clear concepts and rigorous arguments. For example, at the beginning of the article, he asserted that "ancient scholars must have teachers" and The next definition says: "Teachers, so they preach, receive karma, and solve doubts." Then starting from this definition, from "solving doubts" to "following the teacher". After some inference, it is concluded that "the existence of the Tao is the existence of the teacher." Conclusion. This is connected layer by layer, coherent, without any redundancy, and has strong persuasiveness.

2. Comparative Argument

The second paragraph of this article is the most wonderful, which is directly related to the appropriate use of contrastive argumentation methods. The three sets of comparisons used in this paragraph have a unique feature, that Even after the comparison between the two sides, a strong contrasting effect is created, and "reversely" can be used to carry on the above, forming a reverse sequence in semantics. For example, "the ancient saint" is highly intelligent and still learns from his teacher; "today's sage" "The people" have low intelligence, but "are ashamed to learn from their teachers". Through comparison, it is revealed that the "family of scholar-bureaucrats" do not learn from teachers, which is contrary to common sense. The author's view of advocating learning from teachers is self-evident.

3. Quotation argument

Quotation is a commonly used method of argumentation in argumentative essays, and it is also the most common in current academic papers. In the third paragraph of this article, the author quotes the words and deeds of Confucius to further clarify his point of view. It is more practical and credible than the previous general description of "ancient saints". With such a strong supporter as Confucius, the persuasiveness is enhanced. And in just a few lines, the introduction is concise and clear, showing the author's Extraordinary language skills.