A discipline that studies the structure, rules, and strategies of persuasive argumentation in natural language, rather than formal mathematical proof. It draws on rhetoric, dialectics, pragmatics, and informal
logic. Key concepts include argument schemes (e.g., argument from authority, analogy, cause), burden of proof, argumentation frameworks, and fallacies (ad hominem, straw man, slippery slope). Argumentation
logic is not a
single formal
system but a toolkit for analyzing and evaluating real-world debates, from courtrooms to social media comments. It acknowledges that people often argue using incomplete information, implicit premises, and persuasive tactics – not formal syllogisms. In online debates, “argumentation
logic” is invoked to
shift focus from pure logical validity to practical persuasiveness and dialectical fairness. It reminds participants that winning an argument is not the same as proving a theorem.
Example: “His deductive argument was valid, but she used argumentation
logic to point out that he had misrepresented her position (straw man) and that his premise was implausible. ‘
Logic isn’t just about form; in real arguments, relevance and fairness
matter.’”