Chapter Two: Rationale for a pragma-dialectical perspective
by Frans H. van Eemeren and Rob Grootendorst
…An argumentation theory should first and foremost relate to ordinary discussions
in everyday language, which is why we assume that initially one discussant (the
protagonist) advances a viewpoint on which doubt is cast by another discussant (the
antagonist). The argumentation is then advanced, followed by a possible critical response,
and so on. The dispute is resolved when the antagonist, on the basis of the arguments
advanced, accepts the protagonist’s viewpoint, or when the protagonist, as a result
of the critical response of the antagonist, abandons his viewpoint. This means that a
dialectical regulation of discussions in everyday language in a procedure which furthers
the resolution of disputes, should cover all speech acts performed in attacking and
defending the issues at stake, and should not be limited to the (inference) relation
between premisses interpreted as "concessions" and a conclusion representing the
viewpoint.
Chapter Seven: Definitions in argumentative texts
by Erik Viskil
…The theory of definition and the theory of argumentation are closely related.
Defining is thought to be an important instrument for the interpretation, evaluation, and
formulation of standpoints and arguments. In the classical view, a definition is a
statement about the essence of a thing; such statements are in both Socrates’ and
Aristotle’s dialectic the standpoint under discussion. In modern theories with a
dialogical perspective on argumentation, definition is first and foremost regarded as an
instrument for clarifying discussions. In Communication and Argument (1966) Arne
Naess points out that it is necessary for discussants to clarify their terms, since not
only the validity of arguments, but also the acceptability of individual statements (for
example standpoints) can be established only when the meanings of the terms used are
clear. Whether discussants agree on the acceptability of a statement is, in Naess’s
view, to a certain extent a matter of the use of words and definitions.…
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