Bermejo-Luque, Lilian. Giving Reasons. A Linguistic-Pragmatic Approach to Argumentation Theory
Corina Andone · Argumentation · 2011
Reasons has the ambition of developing a new theoretical approach to argumentation that integrates logical, dialectical and rhetorical aspects.The author uses speech act theory to realize her ideal of 'a linguistic-pragmatic approach' to argumentation.After a severe criticism of the major existing approaches to the study of argumentation, the author develops what she claims to be ''a systematic and comprehensive theory of the interpretation, analysis and evaluation of arguments.''1 Outline Chapter 1, Argumentation and Its Study, aims at offering a critical survey of classical backgrounds and modern studies in the field of argumentation theory.After a swift introduction to the classical background in logic, dialectic and rhetoric, Bermejo-Luque takes us directly to the recent developments in argumentation studies.An enumeration of these new developments seems to suffice to draw the conclusion that each current model has established itself within one of the classical approaches.For instance, informal logic is a theory within the logical approach, the new Rhetoric finds its place within the rhetorical approach, and the pragmadialectical theory within the dialectical approach.Why Do We Need a New Theory of Argumentation? comes as a natural question in the title of Chapter 2. Bermejo-Luque's answer is as simple as radical.She argues that all current theories have drawbacks and weaknesses making them unsuitable for the analysis and evaluation of argumentation.Thus, some theories embrace a deductivist ideal of justification which leaves aside the pragmatic conditions for