Arguer's Position: A Pragmatic Study of Ad Hominem Attack, Criticism, Refutation, and FallacyDouglas N. Walton considers the question of whether the conventions of informal conversation can be articulated more precisely than they are at present. Specifically, he addresses the problem of the fallacy of ad hominem argumentation as it occurs in natural settings. Can rules be formulated to determine if criticisms of apparent hypocrisy in an argument are defensible or refutable? Walton suggests that they can, and ultimately defends the thesis that ad hominem reasoning is not fallacious per se. He carries his analysis to the core of action--theoretic reasoning--by examining a number of specimen arguments. As suggested by the title, the conclusion of ad hominem argument is demonstrated to be relative to the arguer's position. In the appendixes of the book, articles by Gerald McAuliffe and Gordon R. Lowe illustrate vivid and powerful cases in which Walton's contentions are put to the test. |
Contents
What Is an Argument? | 2 |
Formal and Informal Logic | 12 |
Models of Argument | 21 |
Copyright | |
13 other sections not shown
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Arguer's Position: A Pragmatic Study of Ad Hominem Attack, Criticism ... Douglas N. Walton No preview available - 1985 |
Common terms and phrases
abusive ad hominem accept accused act-descriptions act-sequence action propositions action-theoretic ad hominem fallacy analysis answer argue arguer bring brought buttered the toast causal circumstantial ad hominem circumstantial inconsistency classical logic commitment-store committed concede conclusion connectible correct defend defined dialectical games ethical evaluated example F F F fact false follows games of dialogue Hamblin hominem allegation hominem argument hominem attack hominem criticisms hominem fallacy hominem refutation ignoratio elenchi implies incon inconsis incorrect informal fallacies killing animals logical inconsistency McAuliffe McAuliffe's argument ment model of argument modus ponens move negation one's opponent opponent's participant patient plausible player Pörn pragmatic inconsistency premisses problem proposed propositional calculus propositional logic psychiatry question reasoning refraining relatedness logic relevance relevance logic reply rules self-refuting sequence set of propositions sistency sitions Smith buttered Socrates sort statement Szasz tautology theory thesis Thomas Szasz tion true valid world line