The book offers a compact but comprehensive introductory overview of the crucial components of argumentation theory. In presenting this overview, argumentation is consistently approached from a pragma-dialectical perspective by viewing it pragmatically as a goal-directed communicative activity and dialectically as part of a regulated critical exchange aimed at resolving a difference of opinion. As a result, the book also systematically explains how the constitutive parts of the pragma-dialectical theory of argumentation, which are discussed in a number of separate publications, hang together.
The following crucial topics are discussed: (1) argumentation theory as a discipline; (2) the meta-theoretical principles of pragma-dialectics; (3) the model of a critical discussion aimed at resolving a difference of opinion; (4) fallacies as violations of a code of conduct for reasonable argumentative discourse; (5) descriptive research of argumentative reality; (6) analysis as theoretically-motivated reconstruction; (7) strategic manoeuvring aimed at combining achieving effectiveness with maintaining reasonableness; (8) the conventionalization of argumentative practices; (9) prototypical argumentative patterns; (10) pragma-dialectics amidst other approaches.
Argumentation Theory: A Pragma-Dialectical Perspective is clearly written and makes argumentation theory understandable to all scholars and advanced students interested in argumentation research.
The following crucial topics are discussed: (1) argumentation theory as a discipline; (2) the meta-theoretical principles of pragma-dialectics; (3) the model of a critical discussion aimed at resolving a difference of opinion; (4) fallacies as violations of a code of conduct for reasonable argumentative discourse; (5) descriptive research of argumentative reality; (6) analysis as theoretically-motivated reconstruction; (7) strategic manoeuvring aimed at combining achieving effectiveness with maintaining reasonableness; (8) the conventionalization of argumentative practices; (9) prototypical argumentative patterns; (10) pragma-dialectics amidst other approaches.
Argumentation Theory: A Pragma-Dialectical Perspective is clearly written and makes argumentation theory understandable to all scholars and advanced students interested in argumentation research.
"Van Eemeren's book is ... written in a clear, precise and at the same time accessible style. ... I would like to repeat once more that Van Eemeren has written yet another brilliant book on the theory of argumentation, which is a highly welcome, comprehensive and up to date presentation of the research paradigm of Pragma-Dialectics in 2018." (Manfred Kienpointner, Journal of Argumentation in Context, Vol. 10 (2), 2021)
"One can imagine that under the guidance of this monograph readers can more easily find out what other monographs or collections of articles should be consulted if they are interested in any specific research field of Argumentation Theory or, more in particular, Pragma-Dialectics. In this sense, this monograph serves as a matter of fact as a map for readers who would like to achieve a more profound understanding of both Argumentation Theory and Pragma-Dialectics." (Peng Wu, Argumentation, Vol. 32, 2018)
"One can imagine that under the guidance of this monograph readers can more easily find out what other monographs or collections of articles should be consulted if they are interested in any specific research field of Argumentation Theory or, more in particular, Pragma-Dialectics. In this sense, this monograph serves as a matter of fact as a map for readers who would like to achieve a more profound understanding of both Argumentation Theory and Pragma-Dialectics." (Peng Wu, Argumentation, Vol. 32, 2018)