Page 25 - Gabrijela Kišiček and Igor Ž. Žagar (eds.), What do we know about the world? Rhetorical and argumentative perspectives, Digital Library, Educational Research Institute, Ljubljana 2013
P. 25
Elements of Argument: 25
Six Steps to a Thick Theory
Leo Groarke, University of Windsor
Summary
In the last quarter-century, the emergence of argumentation theory has spurred
the development of an extensive literature on the study of argument. It encompass-
es empirical and theoretical investigations that often have their roots in the differ-
ent traditions that have studied argument since ancient times – most notably, log-
ic, rhetoric, and dialectics. Against this background, I advocate a “thick” theory of
argument that merges traditional theories, weaving together their sometimes dis-
cordant approaches to provide an overarching framework for the assessment of ar-
guments in a broad range of contexts. In sketching such a theory, I propose six steps
that can “thicken” traditional approaches to argument in the interests of a compre-
hensive theory.
Key words: the future of argumentation theory, thick theory of arguments, thin
theory of arguments
I 1. Introduction
nternational scholarship over the last quarter-century has been char-
acterized by an explosive growth of interest in argument as a top-
ic of inquiry. An impressive range of disciplines and sub-disciplines
have been involved. They include philosophy, rhetoric, dialectics (no-
tably pragma-dialectics), informal (and formal) logic, linguistics, dis-
course analysis, computational modeling, artificial intelligence and cog-
nitive psychology. The results are evident in burgeoning scholarship on
competing theories of argument; in pedagogical research that explores
different ways of teaching and testing reasoning and argument; in case
studies of particular kinds of argument; in formal systems of reasoning
Six Steps to a Thick Theory
Leo Groarke, University of Windsor
Summary
In the last quarter-century, the emergence of argumentation theory has spurred
the development of an extensive literature on the study of argument. It encompass-
es empirical and theoretical investigations that often have their roots in the differ-
ent traditions that have studied argument since ancient times – most notably, log-
ic, rhetoric, and dialectics. Against this background, I advocate a “thick” theory of
argument that merges traditional theories, weaving together their sometimes dis-
cordant approaches to provide an overarching framework for the assessment of ar-
guments in a broad range of contexts. In sketching such a theory, I propose six steps
that can “thicken” traditional approaches to argument in the interests of a compre-
hensive theory.
Key words: the future of argumentation theory, thick theory of arguments, thin
theory of arguments
I 1. Introduction
nternational scholarship over the last quarter-century has been char-
acterized by an explosive growth of interest in argument as a top-
ic of inquiry. An impressive range of disciplines and sub-disciplines
have been involved. They include philosophy, rhetoric, dialectics (no-
tably pragma-dialectics), informal (and formal) logic, linguistics, dis-
course analysis, computational modeling, artificial intelligence and cog-
nitive psychology. The results are evident in burgeoning scholarship on
competing theories of argument; in pedagogical research that explores
different ways of teaching and testing reasoning and argument; in case
studies of particular kinds of argument; in formal systems of reasoning
