Identifying Claims Review

Summary

This tutorial video educates viewers on identifying and differentiating between three types of claims: claims of fact, value, and policy. It clarifies that claims of fact are verifiable statements, claims of value express subjective judgments, and claims of policy suggest desired conditions for the future. The video guides on how to support these claims with evidence and emphasizes the difference between arguable claims and simple facts.

Takeaways

• 📌 A claim is an arguable statement, not a basic fact that can be easily verified.
• 📌 There are three types of claims: claims of fact, claims of value, and claims of policy.
• 📌 Claims of fact assert the existence of a condition and rely on factual information; they can be objectively proven.
• 📌 Claims of value express a judgment on whether something is right or wrong, good or bad, and are inherently subjective.
• 📌 Claims of policy propose what conditions should exist in the future and rely on supporting claims of fact and value.
• 📌 To identify a claim of fact, look for active verbs and assertions of conditions that have, do, or will exist.
• 📌 Claims of value often use linking verbs and require establishing reasonable standards for judgment.
• 📌 Distinguishing between claims of fact and value can be challenging; focus on how claims are supported and proven.
• 📌 Facts can be easily verified and are not arguable, while claims of fact are interpretations that need to be proven as valid.
• 📌 Proving a claim of policy involves showing that current conditions are less desirable and that the suggested change would improve them.
• 📌 The script emphasizes the importance of understanding the nature of claims for effective reasoning and argumentation.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the tutorial video?

The main purpose of the tutorial video is to help viewers review the process of identifying specific types of claims in preparation for the claims and reasoning retest.

What is the fundamental difference between a claim and a basic fact?

A claim is an arguable statement, whereas a basic fact is easily verifiable information that cannot be easily disputed.

Why is the statement 'The United States is in an economic recession' considered a claim?

It is considered a claim because the definition of a recession can vary, and economists may disagree on what qualifies as a recession, making it a debatable statement.

What is the difference between a claim of fact and a statement of fact?

A claim of fact is an arguable inference based on facts, while a statement of fact is a verifiable piece of information that does not require argument.

What are the three types of claims discussed in the video?

The three types of claims discussed are claims of fact, claims of value, and claims of policy.

How can you identify a claim of fact?

A claim of fact asserts a condition that has existed, exists, or will exist, relies on factual information for support, and can be objectively proven using active verbs.

What is the key difference between claims of fact and claims of value?

Claims of fact can be objectively proven and are based on factual information, while claims of value are subjective, based on personal judgments and cannot be objectively proven.

Why are claims of value often phrased using linking verbs?

Claims of value often use linking verbs to express a judgment or an evaluation of something as being right, wrong, good, or bad, which is inherently subjective.

How does a claim of policy differ from claims of fact and value?

A claim of policy asserts what conditions should exist in the future and relies on supporting claims of fact and value. It deals with what ought to be rather than what is or what is judged.

What is the process of proving a claim of policy?

Proving a claim of policy involves demonstrating that current conditions are less desirable than they would be with the suggested change, and providing evidence to support that the proposed change would create more desirable conditions.

Why is it important to differentiate between claims of fact and claims of value when preparing for the retest?

Differentiating between claims of fact and claims of value is important because it helps in understanding the nature of the argument being made and the type of evidence or reasoning required to support or refute the claim.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Claim Identification

This paragraph introduces the tutorial video aimed at teaching viewers how to identify different types of claims in preparation for a claims and reasoning retest. It emphasizes the importance of understanding what constitutes a claim, distinguishing it from a basic fact, and the necessity to pause or rewind the video for note-taking or review. The paragraph sets the stage for the main topics: the definition of a claim, the three types of claims, and methods for their identification.

05:04

🔍 Identifying Claims of Fact

This section delves into the specifics of identifying claims of fact, which are arguable statements based on factual information and can be objectively proven. It explains that claims of fact assert the existence of a condition and rely on evidence to support the assertion. The paragraph provides examples to illustrate the concept, such as the relationship between stiffer penalties for drunk driving and a decrease in traffic fatalities. It also clarifies the difference between facts and claims of fact, noting that while facts can be easily verified, claims of fact are interpretations that require evidence to prove their validity.

10:05

💬 Understanding Claims of Value

The paragraph focuses on claims of value, which are subjective judgments about actions, beliefs, or conditions being right, wrong, good, or bad. It contrasts these with claims of fact, highlighting that claims of value rely on personal standards of judgment and cannot be objectively proven. The paragraph uses examples like drunk driving being considered selfish to show how claims of value are based on personal interpretations and moral standards. It also discusses the challenge of differentiating between claims of fact and claims of value, emphasizing the importance of examining how claims are phrased and supported.

15:05

🛠️ Exploring Claims of Policy

This part of the script introduces claims of policy, which propose that certain conditions should exist in the future and are based on what ought to be. It explains that these claims rely on supporting claims of fact and value, and their proof involves demonstrating that suggested changes would lead to more desirable conditions. Examples provided include advocating for stricter penalties for drunk drivers and more rigorous exit assessments in schools to prepare students for college. The paragraph concludes by summarizing the three types of claims: claims of fact, which can be objectively proven; claims of value, which are subjective; and claims of policy, which propose future conditions.

Keywords

💡Claim

A 'claim' in the context of this video is an assertion or statement that requires support and can be subject to debate. It is central to the video's theme as it distinguishes between different types of claims and their characteristics. For example, the script mentions that a claim cannot be just a basic fact, it must be arguable, as in the case of defining what constitutes an 'economic recession'.

💡Fact

A 'fact' is a piece of information that can be verified as true and is not open to debate. It is contrasted with a claim in the video to emphasize that while some may argue about the extent of government interference, the basic premise of the 'United States operates under a free market economy' is widely accepted as a fact and not a claim.

💡Arguable Statement

An 'arguable statement' is a statement that can be debated or disputed, as opposed to a fact. The video uses this term to illustrate the nature of claims, such as the definition of 'recession', which is subject to different interpretations among economists and thus is an arguable statement.

💡Claim of Fact

A 'claim of fact' is a type of claim that asserts a condition has existed, currently exists, or will exist and can be supported by factual information. The video explains that such claims are based on reasonable inferences and can be objectively proven, as demonstrated by the example 'stiffer penalties for drunk driving have led to fewer traffic fatalities'.

💡Inference

An 'inference' is a conclusion drawn from evidence or reasoning. The video discusses inferences in the context of supporting claims of fact, where one must prove that the inference made (e.g., the relationship between new laws and traffic fatalities) is reasonable.

💡Active Verbs

'Active verbs' are verbs that express an action being performed by the subject. The video script notes that claims of fact are often phrased using active verbs, which can be a clue to identify such claims, as in the example 'traffic fatalities have decreased'.

💡Claim of Value

A 'claim of value' is a type of claim that expresses a judgment about whether an action, belief, or condition is right or wrong, good or bad. The video emphasizes that these claims are subjective and rely on personal standards of judgment, such as 'drunk driving is one of the most selfish things a person can do'.

💡Linking Verbs

'Linking verbs' are verbs that connect the subject to additional information about it. The video mentions that claims of value are often phrased using linking verbs, which can indicate the expression of a judgment or personal opinion, as in 'schools are doing everything they can'.

💡Standards of Judgment

'Standards of judgment' are the criteria or principles used to evaluate the quality or value of something. The video explains that claims of value require establishing reasonable standards that readers will accept in order to argue the claim effectively.

💡Claim of Policy

A 'claim of policy' is a type of claim that suggests what conditions should exist in the future and is supported by claims of fact and value. The video describes how these claims deal with what ought to be and require proving that suggested changes would result in more desirable conditions, such as 'even stricter penalties should be handed out to drunk drivers'.

Highlights

A claim must be an arguable statement, not a basic fact, and should be debatable.

The distinction between a claim and a basic fact is crucial for understanding claims in reasoning.

Claims of fact assert the existence of a condition and rely on factual information for support.

Claims of fact can be objectively proven with sufficient evidence.

Active verbs are often used in claims of fact, indicating an action or occurrence.

Claims of value express personal judgments about what is right, wrong, good, or bad.

Proving a claim of value involves establishing reasonable standards of judgment that readers will accept.

Claims of value are subjective and cannot be objectively proven, unlike claims of fact.

Linking verbs are often used in claims of value to express a state of being or a judgment.

Claims of policy assert what should exist in the future and rely on supporting claims of fact and value.

Proving a claim of policy requires showing that current conditions are less desirable than proposed changes.

The tutorial provides examples to differentiate between claims of fact, value, and policy.

The importance of distinguishing between claims of fact and facts themselves is emphasized.

Students often struggle with differentiating between claims of fact and claims of value.

The tutorial offers a side-by-side comparison of claims of fact and claims of value for clarity.

Harry Potter series examples illustrate the difference between claims of value and claims of fact.

The tutorial concludes with a recap of the three types of claims and their characteristics.

Transcripts

hello and welcome to another tutorial

video this video is designed to help you

review identifying specific types of

claims in preparation for the claims and

reasoning retest

please remember that while viewing this

video you may pause rewind the video at

any time to take notes or just to review

what you have learned in this video we

will cover what makes a claim a claim

what are the three types of claims and

how do I identify the three types of

claims those are the main things you

need to know for the retest identifying

claims first of all a claim must be an

arguable statement not a basic fact a

claim cannot be just a basic fact it is

not just a piece of information that can

be easily verified as true it must be

arguable the United States is in an

economic recession this is a claim

because some can define recession

differently in fact many economists do

disagree on what or what does not

qualify as a recession so this is a

debatable statement the United States

operates under a free market economy

this is not really a claim although

there are some people who might debate

that the United States isn't technically

a free-market economy that a free a true

free market economy would lack any kind

of government interference those people

are really just arguing semantics this

is this is widely regarded by many

people as fact and yet again only those

who wish to bicker about semantics could

debate this so this is not a not a claim

be careful though of facts that contain

claims last week the Federal Reserve

Chairman announced that the United

States was emerging from the economic

recession is this a fact or a claim well

it's just a fact it's not a claim at all

because it's not asserting it's not

making an arguable statement I can't

argue with the fact that the Federal

Reserve Chairman said this it's a fact

he I could look it up I could probably

just go to a new site and determine

he did say this so this is not a claim

this is just a statement that as is

telling me what this guy asserted it's

not asserting anything by itself

yeah just informing me of what someone

else asserted so when you're identifying

claims there are three different types

of claims that you can make claims of

fact claims of value and claims of

policy let's start with the claim of

fact to identify a claim of fact you

need to look at several things first of

all a claim of fact will be a claim that

asserts that a condition has existed

does currently exist or will exist a

claim of fact relies on factual

information for support in general

claims of facts are our opinions drawn

by inference and proving a claim of fact

often involves the proving the inference

you have made is in fact a reasonable

inference this is the big one claims a

fact can be objectively proven if you

have have enough evidence you can

objectively prove a claim of fact

finally look for this look for active

verbs claims of fact often are phrased

using active verbs let's take a look at

some examples stiffer penalties for

drunk driving have led to fewer traffic

fatalities this particular claim asserts

that a relationship exists between

traffic fatalities and whatever these

new drunk driving laws are that have

stiffer penalties although this claim

may be true it is actually an

interpretation of traffic statistics and

the enactment of this new law the

relationship between them that the

traffic statistics are caused by the

enactment of the new law that is

inferred from the data someone could

potentially argue that the inference is

weak so therefore this is arguable this

is a claim and it's a claim of fact it's

a claim of fact made mainly because it

can be proven objectively to support

this claim you would need to provide

evidence that demonstrates this

relationship exists as you say it does

you need to prove that it is in fact the

stiffer penalties that have led to fewer

traffic fatalities once you prove that

relationship exists then your claim is

reasonable and there's really little

dispute anyone could bring up to this

therefore it can be proved that that's

what I mean by it can be proven

objectively is that once you've proven

this relationship that's it it's proven

and it's very reasonable at that point

yeah there's no there's no subjectivity

open to any dispute here's another one

fewer and fewer graduating seniors are

prepared for college writing and math

classes okay this particular claim

asserts that smaller occurrences of

college preparation exist if we're

trying to fit it into that

that claims a fact have to be something

that a cert something that exists phrase

although once again this may be true

it's actually an interpretation of great

statistics and college dropout rates

over time this downward trend of fewer

and fewer students being prepared for

college writing and math classes is

interpreted from some data so it's it's

definitely a claim and not a fact

someone could could argue potentially

that since more and more students are

going to college that the number of

incoming freshmen who are unprepared is

simply a product of the law of averages

you know maybe it's not necessarily that

a larger proportion are less prepared

but maybe just because more and more

people are going to college in the first

place that's why so many more now or are

unprepared still this can be proven

objectively once again to support this

you would need to provide evidence that

incoming college freshmen on average are

not as prepared for their classes as

they used to be if this trend is clearly

demonstrated then your claim is

reasonable and there's no subjectivity

open to dispute so since this claim can

be proven objectively since it asserts

that something exists this lack of

preparation it's a claim of fact be

careful that you do not confuse claims

of fact with facts themselves claims of

factors

still arguable statements remember

they're just asserted as facts when in

fact they're not technically facts are

still arguable a fact is a statement

that can be verified very easily a claim

of fact is an inference an

interpretation of facts and it's all

about proving that your interpretation

is valid that that is the goal of

arguing a claim of fact so let's take a

look at this traffic fatalities have

decreased over the past 10 months well

this is easily verifiable I just need to

find the statistics look at the trend

and if that trend is going down then

they have decreased so that is a fact

more incoming college freshmen in 2011

required remediation than did in 2010

well that's a fact I can just look at

the statistics I'm sure the Department

of Education keeps on this sort of thing

and if the number is lower or excuse me

the number is higher in 2011 than it was

in 2010 and that's just easily verified

so those two statements are facts now

let's talk about claims of value the

difference between claims of value and

claims of fact are some things that many

many students are struggling with so

let's try and break this down I identify

a claim of value you need to understand

that a claim of value asserts that some

action belief or condition is right or

wrong good or bad desirable or

undesirable etc basically what I'm

saying is that a claim of fact relies on

providing reasonable standards of

judgment for support because claiming

that something is right or wrong good or

bad desirable undesirable requires that

you first established a standard for

which you have judged this good or bad

or judged this undesirable or desirable

in general claims of value make

judgments they express your approval or

disapproval of standards taste and/or

morality okay so they're they're based

on on standards as I've said but also

based on personal tastes and individual

morality proving a claim of value

involves arriving at reasonable

standards of judgment that readers will

accept and you got to understand claims

of value unlike claims of fat

claims of value cannot be proven

objectively they are always going to be

subjective in nature even if even if you

prove your claim to be reasonable

finally claims of value are oftentimes

phrased using linking verbs not not all

the time just like claims a fact aren't

always you phrased using active verbs

but this can kind of cue you in to

really examine it closely let's take a

look at some examples drunk driving is

one of the most selfish things a person

can do okay this asserts that the act of

drunk driving is selfish or wrong and as

it's being interpreted although it may

be widely accepted this is a personal

judgement what is selfish and what is

not is a personal judgement and by

calling it selfish or you're implying

disapproval you're expressing a certain

disapproval yeah selfishness is a matter

of personal judgment that's what makes

this a claim of values calling something

selfish well that's a matter of personal

judgment someone could potentially I

don't know who the heck would someone

could potentially argue that driving

oneself home without asking a designated

driver to do it is the opposite of

selfish that's a really obtuse wave of

arguing this but someone could

potentially argue that this is a

subjective statement it cannot be

objectively proven because we don't all

have the same definitions of what is and

is not selfish to support this you would

need food to provide some reasonable

standards on which selfishness can be

judged if the act of drunk driving falls

within these standards that you have

established then your claim is

reasonable however those who do not

agree with the standards you use to

judge selfishness will never agree with

this claim they will never see it as

reasonable that makes this a claim of

value it's it's it's always going to be

somewhat subjective in nature even if

you prove it reasonable there's still

someone who can disagree with the

standards on which you you judged this

let's take a look at another one schools

are doing everything they can to prepare

graduating seniors for college asserts

that what schools are doing is

sufficient or good

although it may be widely accepted this

is once again a personal judgment that

expresses approval of something what

school should be responsible for doing

is a matter of personal judgment

everyone seems to have an opinion on

what are the responsibilities of a

school really is someone could argue

that schools are responsible for doing

more than they actually are okay or

could argue the opposite that schools

are not doing nearly enough

once again this this claim is subjective

in nature it cannot be objectively

proven to support this claim you would

need to provide reasonable standards on

which the responsibilities of schools

can actually be judged if what if

according to your evidence what schools

are currently doing falls within these

standards then your claim is reasonable

however those who do not agree with the

standards you have set to judge what

school should there should not be doing

guess what they'll never truly find your

claim reasonable and so that makes this

subjective in nature

so since identifying claims of fact and

claims of value is one of the most

difficult things that students students

have to have to do on the test let's

practice but first let's take a look at

claims a fact and claims of value just

in recap differentiating between claims

of facts and claims of value can be

tricky students have said you know don't

all claims assert that something exists

don't all claims rely on a certain level

of inferencing don't all claims rely on

personal judgments so what happens is

students start using these using this to

justify calling anything a claim of fact

anything a claim of value which you

really just can't do you have to examine

how the claims are worded you have to

examine how the claims are or can be

supported and how the claims are proven

reasonable that's what determines

whether or not it is fact or value don't

don't dig right down to the very core of

this thing and say well since

everything's relative can't everything

be a claim of value no don't don't do

that to yourself let's look at these

side

by side perhaps this will help a claim

of fact asserts that a condition has

existed exists or will exist while a

claim of value asserts that some action

belief or condition is right or wrong

good or bad desirable or undesirable etc

a claim of fact relies on factual

information for support a claim of value

relies on providing reasonable standards

of judgment for support a claim of fact

is an opinion drawn by inference a claim

of value is a judgment that expresses

approval or disapproval of standards

taste and/or morality a claim of fact

can be objectively proven a claim of

value is subjective in nature can and

cannot be objectively proven a claim of

fact proving a claim of fact involves

proving the inference that you have made

is reason fact reasonable proving a

claim of value involves arriving at a

reasonable standard of judgment that

readers will accept finally claims of

fact are often phrased uses using active

verbs when claims of value are often

phrased using linking verbs let's take a

look at a couple for practice in the

Harry Potter series Harry was a positive

role model for children that word

positive should really clue you in this

is a claim of value what constitutes a

positive role model is highly subjective

I would if I was gonna argue this I

would have to establish a standard for

what makes a role-model positive and

then prove Harry meets that standard

even then once I had proven this there

are still some individuals who would

never agree with my claim because they

don't agree with what positive role

model is they would never agree with the

standard for judging a positive role

model that I set in the Harry Potter

series Harry's journey teaches children

perseverance in the face of overwhelming

odds this is a claim of fact unlike the

last one this one can actually be

objectively proven so this is a claim of

fact because I have inferred this

particular claim from events in the

novel based on what Harry does

throughout the the novel series I've

inferred that he

he demonstrates perseverance to prove

this I would just have to cite events

from the novel in which Harry

demonstrates perseverance and since

perseverance is a concept that isn't

highly subjective it's pretty clear what

what persevering is you know the

definition is very basic that means I

could objectively prove this let's talk

about claims of policy the third type of

claim the claim of policy asserts that

certain conditions should exist so

unlike claims of fact claims of value

claims a policy deal with what should be

what ought to be in the future it relies

on supporting claims of fact and claims

of value in general claims of policy

contain auxiliaries like should ought or

must proving a claim of policy involves

proving that current conditions are less

desirable than what they would be with

the suggested change let's take a look

at an example of a claim of policy even

stricter penalties should be handed out

to drunk drivers this particular claim

asserts that stricter penalties should

exist to support this you would need to

prove that current conditions are less

desirable than they would be under this

new system of stricter penalties I would

need to prove provide evidence to

support that stricter penalties would

create those more desirable conditions

there's another one schools should use

more rigorous exit assessments to ensure

that students are prepared for college

this assertion this claim asserts that

more rigorous assessments should exist

dealing with the future to support this

claim you would need to provide or to

you would need to prove that current

conditions are less desirable than they

would be under this new system of more

rigorous assessment I would need to

provide evidence to support that more

rigorous assessments would create those

more desirable conditions

all right let's recap as we come to the

end of this tutorial video there are

three types of claims claims of fact

claims of value

of policy claims a fact assert that

something exists and can be objectively

proven claims of value make a personal

judgment that even when supported with

evidence is still subjective and claims

of policy assert what should exist in

the future

that's it for this tutorial video thank

you for watching and good luck on your

retest