Page 58 - Žagar, Igor Ž. 2021. Four Critical Essays on Argumentation. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 58
four critical essays on argumentation
and widespread disenchantment with politics, depoliticization
and the so-called ‘democratic deficit’. (Wodak ibid.: xii)
In chapter 4, ‘On being European’, Wodak examines the discursive
construction of MEP’s identities10 by analysing the responses of MEPs to
questions about whether they see themselves as European or not.
Here is one of her conclusions about these interviews:
In contrast to the European Commission officials who tended to
speak of themselves in terms of ‘we’, referring to the Commission,
and equating this with the European Union, the MEP’s construct-
ed and performed numerous identities, both professional and
personal (Wodak, 2004b). [Different identities are enumerated]
Many of these ‘presentations of self’ manifest themselves in brief
personal anecdotes or longer narratives, used as argumentum ad
exemplum, i.e. one generalizable incident; this could also be an-
alysed as employing the fallacy of hasty generalization. (Wodak
ibid.: 99)
Wodak doesn’t present any concrete data, not even an example on
which the above claims would be based. But if there is no data, no analysis
can be performed. And if data as well as the analysis of these hypothetical
data are missing, it is impossible to judge whether we are dealing with fal-
lacies or not. In this respect, it is crucial to remember what Hamblin keeps
emphasizing:
A fallacy is a fallacious argument. Someone who merely makes
false statement, however absurd, is innocent of fallacy unless the
statements constitute or express an argument. (Hamblin ibid.:
224)
What Wodak does offer is a short summary that many of these ‘“pres-
entations of self” manifest themselves in brief personal anecdotes or
longer narratives, used as argumentum ad exemplum, i.e. one generaliza-
ble incident’.
Is there any other way of presenting oneself in an interview than brief
personal anecdotes or longer narratives? I can’t think of any. It is quite a
mystery why Wodak labels these presentations of self, be it personal anec-
dotes or longer narratives, as argumentum ad exemplum; a classical defini-
tion of argumentum ad exemplum would be ‘arguing against a particular
10 MEP is an acronym for a Member of European Parliament.
58
and widespread disenchantment with politics, depoliticization
and the so-called ‘democratic deficit’. (Wodak ibid.: xii)
In chapter 4, ‘On being European’, Wodak examines the discursive
construction of MEP’s identities10 by analysing the responses of MEPs to
questions about whether they see themselves as European or not.
Here is one of her conclusions about these interviews:
In contrast to the European Commission officials who tended to
speak of themselves in terms of ‘we’, referring to the Commission,
and equating this with the European Union, the MEP’s construct-
ed and performed numerous identities, both professional and
personal (Wodak, 2004b). [Different identities are enumerated]
Many of these ‘presentations of self’ manifest themselves in brief
personal anecdotes or longer narratives, used as argumentum ad
exemplum, i.e. one generalizable incident; this could also be an-
alysed as employing the fallacy of hasty generalization. (Wodak
ibid.: 99)
Wodak doesn’t present any concrete data, not even an example on
which the above claims would be based. But if there is no data, no analysis
can be performed. And if data as well as the analysis of these hypothetical
data are missing, it is impossible to judge whether we are dealing with fal-
lacies or not. In this respect, it is crucial to remember what Hamblin keeps
emphasizing:
A fallacy is a fallacious argument. Someone who merely makes
false statement, however absurd, is innocent of fallacy unless the
statements constitute or express an argument. (Hamblin ibid.:
224)
What Wodak does offer is a short summary that many of these ‘“pres-
entations of self” manifest themselves in brief personal anecdotes or
longer narratives, used as argumentum ad exemplum, i.e. one generaliza-
ble incident’.
Is there any other way of presenting oneself in an interview than brief
personal anecdotes or longer narratives? I can’t think of any. It is quite a
mystery why Wodak labels these presentations of self, be it personal anec-
dotes or longer narratives, as argumentum ad exemplum; a classical defini-
tion of argumentum ad exemplum would be ‘arguing against a particular
10 MEP is an acronym for a Member of European Parliament.
58
