Quotations and presumptions: Dialogical effects of misquotations

Abstract

Manipulation of quotation is shown to be a common argumentation tactic in this paper, but is also shown to be associated with fallacies like wrenching from context, hasty generalization, equivocation, and the straw man fallacy. Several examples are presented from everyday speech, legislative debates and trials. Using dialogue models we explain the critical defects of argumentation illustrated in the examples. Analyzing quotation by using the notion of commitment in dialogue, it is shown how an arguer's previous assertions can be verified to deal with problems arising from misquotation, and how a critic can correct the problem. © Douglas Walton and Fabrizio Macagno.