Informal Logic: A 'Canadian' Approach to Argument

The informal logic movement began as an attempt to develop – and teach – an alternative logic which can account for the real life arguing that surrounds us in our daily lives – in newspapers and the popular media, political and social commentary, advertising, and interpersonal exchange. The movement was rooted in research and discussion in Canada and especially at the University of Windsor, and has become a branch of argumentation theory which intersects with related traditions and approaches (notably formal logic, rhetoric and dialectics in the form of pragma-dialectics). In this volume, some of the best known contributors to the movement discuss their views and the reasoning and argument which is informal logic’s subject matter. Many themes and issues are explored in a way that will fuel the continued evolution of the field. Federico Puppo adds an insightful essay which considers the origins and development of informal logic and whether informal logicians are properly described as a “school” of thought. In considering that proposition, Puppo introduces readers to a diverse range of essays, some of them previously published, others written specifically for this volume.

Introduction: Federico Puppo; Pioneering Informal Logic and Argumentation Studies: J. Anthony Blair; Formal Models: John Woods; The Problem of Missing Premisses: Hitchcock, David; Are There Methods of Informal Logic?: Hans V. Hansen; Duets, Cartoons, and Tragedies: Struggles with the Fallacy of Composition: Trudy Govier; The Dialectical Tier Revisited: Ralph H. Johnson; How the Context of Dialogue of an Argument Influences its Evaluation: Douglas Walton; Inquiry: A Dialectical Approach to Teaching Critical Thinking: Sharon Bailin, Mark Battersby; Argumentation and the Force of Reasons: Robert C. Pinto; Aggression, Politeness, and Abstract Adversaries: Catherine Hundleby; MULTI-MODAL 2010: Multi-Modal Argumentation 20 Years Later: Michael A. Gilbert; Depicting Visual Arguments: An "ART" Approach: Leo Groarke; Informal Logic and the Nature of Argument: Christopher W. Tindale