The term "instrumental argument" is correct and can be used in written English.
It refers to an argument or reasoning that uses something as a means to achieve a certain goal or outcome. It is often used in persuasive writing or speeches. Example: "The speaker used an instrumental argument, appealing to the audience's emotions in order to convince them to support the cause."
And yet that instrumental argument carries other risks – triggering reservations from some quarters of academia.
The "instrumental" argument against torture – that it doesn't work – invites the conclusion that on those occasions where torture would work, there's nothing wrong with using it.
The most forceful contemporary statement of this instrumental argument is provided by Amartya Sen, who argues, for example, that "no substantial famine has ever occurred in any independent country with a democratic form of government and a relatively free press" (Sen 1999, 152).
An Instrumental argument would be: "Here's a plan to simplify the tax code, and we've done the math and we've vetted it with a bunch of tax policy experts".
Because I don't think the instrumental arguments are going to be persuasive on their own".
I added that it was particularly important to challenge the relevance of "instrumental arguments" about funding; even more so to insist on the "intrinsic importance of values as a key justification" for arts support.
"These instrumental arguments are going to doom the arts to failure, because any superintendent is going to say, 'If the only reason I'm having art is to improve math, let's just have more math.' " "Do we want to therefore say, 'No singing,' because singing didn't lead to spatial improvement?" Ms. Winner added.
Not all instrumental arguments favor democracy.
The instrumental arguments show the existential and psychological rewards of virtue and costs of vice.
In the TTP Spinoza provides both principled and instrumental arguments in favor of democracy.
The Brexit side has no instrumental arguments for Brexit but emotive and non-rational values that have considerable support.
