Review your pillars against these criteria. Strong arguments have pillars that are Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive.
Mutually Exclusive (No Overlaps)
Each pillar should cover distinct territory. Evidence should clearly belong to one pillar, not multiple.
Ask yourself: "Could any of my supporting points fit under more than one pillar?"
Collectively Exhaustive (No Gaps)
Together, your pillars should cover everything needed to support your governing thought. Nothing important should be missing.
Ask yourself: "If someone disagreed with my conclusion, would these pillars address all their likely objections?"
Necessity Test
Each pillar should be essential. If you removed it, the argument should feel incomplete.
Ask yourself: "If I deleted this pillar entirely, would my argument still stand?"
Sufficiency Test
Together, your pillars should be enough to prove your point. No additional pillars should be needed.
Ask yourself: "If someone accepted all my pillars as true, would they have to accept my governing thought?"
Tip: If you're using Grouping Logic, your pillars should be parallel and independent.
If you're using Deductive Logic, they should chain together as premises leading to a conclusion.