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Vocabulary
Objective: Lead or participate in demanding panel debates, defending positions against critical counter-arguments using rhetorical and argumentative vocabulary.
| French term | English equivalent | Function |
|---|---|---|
| la thèse | thesis | position defended |
| l'argument | argument | supporting reason |
| la réfutation | refutation | demonstration of weakness |
| la concession | concession | acknowledgement of the opposing point |
| le sophisme | fallacy | flawed reasoning |
| la pétition de principe | circular reasoning | assumption of the conclusion |
Réfuter requires a demonstration of the argument's weakness, while repeating a personal view amounts to a mere affirmation.
Une concession grants the opposing point before the counter-argument, so ignoring the argument contradicts its function.
A bare noun phrase naming the demonstration of an argument's weakness, ready to be combined with préparer or avancer.
A bare noun phrase naming the acknowledgement of an opposing point before the counter-argument.
The concession prepares the counter-argument, so the two moves belong to a single strategy.
The refutation targets the argument itself, not the person who advanced it.
The tactic misrepresents the opponent's view so that it becomes easier to reject.
7 exercises · about 11 minutes
Une pétition de principe assumes what it sets out to prove, so it belongs to the family of fallacies rather than to sound reasoning.
Un sophisme is a flawed argument that appears valid but fails logically, so it weakens rather than strengthens a demonstration.
L'argument d'autorité carries weight only when the cited source has recognised expertise in the relevant field.
The fallacy collapses a range of possibilities into a binary choice.
The classical appeal relies on the perceived authority or integrity of the speaker.
The appeal to reason underpins the argumentative structures used throughout formal debate.