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Arguer's Position

A Pragmatic Study of Ad Hominem Attack, Criticism, Refutation, and Fallacy

Douglas N Walton author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Published:19th Feb '85

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Arguer's Position cover

Douglas N. Walton considers the question of whether the conventions of informal conversation can be articulated more precisely than they are at present. Specifically, he addresses the problem of the fallacy of ad hominem argumentation as it occurs in natural settings. Can rules be formulated to determine if criticisms of apparent hypocrisy in an argument are defensible or refutable? Walton suggests that they can, and ultimately defends the thesis that ad hominem reasoning is not fallacious per se. He carries his analysis to the core of action--theoretic reasoning--by examining a number of specimen arguments. As suggested by the title, the conclusion of ad hominem argument is demonstrated to be relative to the arguer's position. In the appendixes of the book, articles by Gerald McAuliffe and Gordon R. Lowe illustrate vivid and powerful cases in which Walton's contentions are put to the test.

ISBN: 9780313244391

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 737g

346 pages