Fundamentals of Critical ArgumentationFundamentals of Critical Argumentation presents the basic tools for the identification, analysis, and evaluation of common arguments for beginners. The book teaches by using examples of arguments in dialogues, both in the text itself and in the exercises. Examples of controversial legal, political, and ethical arguments are analyzed. Illustrating the most common kinds of arguments, the book also explains how to analyze and evaluate each kind by critical questioning. Douglas Walton shows how arguments can be reasonable under the right dialogue conditions by using critical questions to evaluate them. |
Contents
ONE ARGUMENTS AND DIALOGUES | 1 |
Arguments | 2 |
Questions and Statements | 7 |
Arguments in Dialogues | 11 |
Generalizations | 15 |
Chaining of Arguments | 22 |
Criticizing by Questioning or Rebuttal | 26 |
Criticizing an Argument by Asking Questions | 29 |
Persuasion Dialogue | 173 |
Commitment in Dialogue | 179 |
Other Types of Dialogue | 183 |
Simple and Complex Questions | 191 |
Loaded Questions | 199 |
Responding to Tricky Questions | 203 |
Relevance of Questions and Replies | 211 |
Summary | 215 |
Disputes and Dissents | 36 |
Summary | 41 |
TWO CONCEPTS USEFUL FOR UNDERSTANDING ARGUMENTS | 43 |
Inconsistency | 44 |
Three Kinds of Arguments | 49 |
Syllogisms | 54 |
Complex Propositions | 59 |
Some Other Common Forms of Deductive Argument | 61 |
Probability and Inductive Argument | 65 |
Plausible Argumentation | 69 |
Arguments and Explanations | 75 |
Summary | 82 |
THREE ARGUMENTATION SCHEMES | 84 |
Argument from Popular Opinion | 91 |
Argument from Analogy | 96 |
Argument from Correlation to Cause | 100 |
Argument from Consequences and Slippery Slope | 104 |
Argument from Sign | 112 |
Argument from Commitment | 116 |
Ad Hominem Arguments | 122 |
Argument from Verbal Classification | 128 |
Summary | 132 |
FOUR ARGUMENT DIAGRAMMING | 138 |
Single and Convergent Arguments | 139 |
Linked Arguments | 141 |
Serial and Divergent Arguments | 146 |
Distinguishing between Linked and Convergent Arguments | 148 |
Complex Arguments | 153 |
Unstated Premises and Conclusions | 157 |
Diagramming More Difficult Cases | 162 |
Summary | 169 |
FIVE DIALOGUES | 172 |
SIX DETECTING BIAS | 218 |
Loaded Terms | 219 |
Point of View and Burden of Proof | 225 |
Biased Argumentation | 232 |
Verbal Disputes | 239 |
Lexical Stipulative and Persuasive Definitions | 245 |
Philosophical and Scientific Definitions | 251 |
Normal and Troublesome Bias | 257 |
Summary | 264 |
SEVEN RELEVANCE | 266 |
Probative Relevance | 267 |
Dialectical Relevance | 272 |
Relevance in Meetings and Debates | 274 |
Relevance in Legal Argumentation | 278 |
Fear Appeal Arguments | 283 |
Threats as Arguments | 286 |
Appeal to Pity | 290 |
Shifts and Relevance | 293 |
Summary | 296 |
EIGHT PRACTICAL REASONING IN A DIALOGICAL FRAMEWORK | 299 |
Practical Inferences | 300 |
Necessary and Sufficient Conditions | 303 |
Disjunctive Reasoning | 306 |
Taking Consequences into Account | 309 |
The Dilemma | 314 |
The Closed World Assumption | 318 |
Lack of Knowledge Inferences | 321 |
Real World Situations | 327 |
Summary and Glimpses Ahead | 330 |
| 335 | |
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Common terms and phrases
abortion accept appeal to expert appeal to pity argu arguer argument from consequences argument from ignorance ARGUMENTATION SCHEME asking assumption attack bias Bob's Brant County chain of argumentation chapter cited claim classified closed world assumption course of action critical argumentation critical discussion critical questions deductive argument deductively valid defeasible defined dialogue on tipping disjunctive Douglas Walton Euathlus euthanasia evaluate evidence example fear appeal argument following argument form of argument genetically modified foods give given goal Helen hominem argument identify important inductive issue Leona Helmsley lexical definition logic meaning ment move negative consequences participants party person persuasion dialogue persuasive definition plausible practical reasoning premises and conclusion premises are true presumptive problem proponent proposition put forward reason to support reply respondent rules Santa Claus SCHEME FOR ARGUMENT side statement supposed text of discourse thesis thing tion type of argument type of dialogue viewpoint word wrong