Argumentation Theory: A Pragma-Dialectical Perspective

This book offers an introduction into argumentation theory viewed from a novel perspective. It details a pragma-dialectical approach. The author has helped develop this framework for more than four decades. Here, the author presents a clear overview of how the various components of this theory hang together. The author's analysis puts a great emphasis on the pragmatic dimension of argumentation as a goal-directed verbal activity and on its dialectical dimension as part of a critical exchange aimed at resolving a difference of opinion. Coverage creates an interdisciplinary pragma-dialectical perspective. The author integrates insights from the dialectical and the rhetorical perspectives. Where necessary, the author supports this with insights from logic and philosophy, linguistics and discourse analysis, psychology, sociology and law, and the study of communication and debate. Readers gain a better understanding of the theorizing that takes place in the discipline. The current state of the art in argumentation theory is characterized by the co-existence of a variety of theoretical approaches, which differ considerably in conceptualization, scope and theoretical refinement. This book has as its point of departure that argumentation theory serves its purposes best if it includes both descriptive and normative research. The author argues that putting to good use the different kinds of insights gained from a systematic combination of all these perspectives will lead to a better and more complete understanding of argumentative discourse.