Public Speaking

Make a Claim (^237)

Claims of Value

When you evaluate something using terms such as right or wrong, good or better or best,

beautiful or ugly, worthwhile or not worthwhile, you’re making a value claim. Here are

some value claims (with the evaluative term in italics):

It’s unfair for giant corporations to avoid paying taxes.

Boxing is inhumane.

National security is more important than personal privacy during airport screenings.

Note that the third claim agrees that national security and personal privacy are both

important, but the argument is over which value should take priority in the specific

context. Similarly, in the abortion debate, pro-choice people are not anti-life, nor are

pro-lifers anti-choice. However, the two sides disagree over which value should have

precedence when a woman faces an unwanted pregnancy.

Resolving value conflicts requires agreement on the criteria or standards for decid-

ing what is moral or immoral, fair or unfair, humane or inhumane. That’s why it’s vital

to state the criteria you’re using to judge. If you can convince listeners to accept your

standards, they’ll more readily accept your judgment; even if you fail to convince them,

they can at least understand the reasoning behind your argument.

Claims of Policy

Policy claims are disputable statements we make about courses of action, whether per-

sonal or on a broader basis. To identify them, look for the terms should or would. There

are basically three types of policy claims: policies should change, behaviors should

change, and policies (or actions) should remain the same.

value claim argument about

right or wrong, moral or

immoral, beautiful or ugly

criteria the standards used

for making evaluations or

judgments

policy claims disputed

claim about the need to act

or the plan for taking action

© kwest/Shutterstock.com

Within a single topic such

as climate change, people

often disagree on existence

or extent, on causes, and

on predictions regarding the

future.

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