claiming that most people don't have the concept of an argument, and that it's pointless to try and teach them anything else until you can convey an intuitive sense for what it means to argue

This is something I can observe everyday in my life. Probably I am less lucky then other guys and in my surrounding there are not that much "respected partners" who are able to listen and not rudely immediately disagree. So yes, it seems like most people don't have the concept of a proper argument. But that way I also did not have thsi concept for a long time. We all learn and change. The easiest way is to say "people are rude and dumb and there is no point in trying to change them". But in real life one cannot just change his surrounding, change the location, change the work and colleagues, change friends. If you want to have more "respected partners" - try to educate those you already have.