Argumentation theory as a discipline

Abstract

After an introduction and definition of the concept of argumentation the general objective of argumentation theory as a discipline is described and specified. Next, some crucial concepts of argumentation theory are discussed: standpoint, unexpressed premise, argument scheme, argumentation structure, and fallacy. Then the research program of argumentation theory is explained, consisting of a philosophical, a theoretical, an empirical, an analytical, and a practical component. The chapter is concluded by a brief overview of the various approaches that give shape to the dialectical and the rhetorical perspectives on argumentation.