Argumentation as dialectical

✍ Scribed by J. Anthony Blair; Ralph H. Johnson

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands
• Year: 1987
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 1015 KB
• Volume: 1
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0920-427X
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00127118

✦ Synopsis

The authors describe the rationale behind a recent development in the teaching of logic in North America and sketch some features of a dialectical theory of logical criticism.

The authors argue that problems with validity and truth as the standards of logically compelling argument force abandonment of 20th century formal, deductive logic as an adequate theory of argument criticism. The latter's proper domain is implication, not argument. A new, dialectical theory of argument criticism is need.

The authors claim premises should meet a dialectical requirement of "acceptability" (in place of the soundness requirement of "truth") -one which invokes the conception of a community of model interlocutors to generate standards of appraisal. Premise-conclusion connections should meet dialectical requirements of relevance and sufficiency.