In Toulmin's Terms...

On February 28, the Federal Communications Commission ruled that the broadcast on ABC of the movie “Saving Private Ryan” did not violate indecency guidelines. From Toulmin’s perspective, arguments must be evaluated within the context they are given. The FCC did exactly this because although indecency laws prohibit certain materials to be aired on television between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. (the times children are most likely to be watching television) the FCC decided that questionable material in the film was prefaced with warning and explanation. Though the material involved gruesome violence and coarse language, the goal was to depict a real life event in history.

The argument proposed by the FCC would have been approved by Toulmin because they argue on the basis of practicality, allowing them to address and resolve a specific conflict, instead of relying on theoretical argumentation. In contrast to practical argumentation, theoretical argumentation does not allow one to resolve daily conflicts.

The three elements of Toulmin’s layout helped us to further analyze the structure of this argument. The warrant offered by FCC was that the movie did not violate indecency standards. The grounds for this warrant state that the movie cannot be considered “indecent” because it accurately reflects historical fact. Therefore, the claim presumes that material depicting historical facts and real life events cannot be labeled as “indecent.” FCC chairman Michael Powell said in a statement: "This film is a critically acclaimed artwork that tells a gritty story - one of bloody battles and supreme heroism…The horror of war and the enormous personal sacrifice it draws on cannot be painted in airy pastels."

Dana Dodds, Melody Fowler

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