The Uses of Argument

by Stephen E. Toulmin

Overview

A central theme throughout the impressive series of philosophical books and articles Stephen Toulmin has published since 1948 is the way in which assertions and opinions concerning all sorts of topics, brought up in everyday life or in academic research, can be rationally justified. Is there one universal system of norms, by which all sorts of arguments in all sorts of fields must be judged, or must each sort of argument be judged according to its own norms? In The Uses of Argument (1958) Toulmin sets out his views on these questions for the first time. In spite of initial criticisms from logicians and fellow philosophers, The Uses of Argument has been an enduring source of inspiration and discussion to students of argumentation from all kinds of disciplinary background for more than forty years.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781107085909
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	07/07/2003
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	599,128
File size:	1 MB

Table of Contents

Introduction; 1. Fields of argument and modals; 2. Probability; 3. The layout of arguments; 4. Working logic and idealised logic; 5. The origins of epistemological theory; Conclusion.

Editorial Reviews

"In spite of initial criticisms from logicians and fellow philosophers, The Uses of Argument has been an enduring source of inspiration and discussion to students of argumentation from all kinds of disciplinary background for more than forty years." Frans van Eemeren, University of Amsterdam

From the Publisher