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On Reasoning and Argument

Essays in Informal Logic and on Critical Thinking

Authors:

  • Brings together four decades of work by this well-respected author in argumentation studies
  • Includes many papers that are not readily available or have not been widely published
  • A "must read" for students of argumentation in Communication or Philosophy graduate programmes
  • Facilitates the assessment of Hitchcock’s body of work as a whole
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Part of the book series: Argumentation Library (ARGA, volume 30)

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Table of contents (33 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxvii
  2. Deduction, Induction and Conduction

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. Deduction, Induction and Conduction

      • David Hitchcock
      Pages 3-20
    3. The Linked-Convergent Distinction

      • David Hitchcock
      Pages 21-29
    4. Postscript

      • David Hitchcock
      Pages 31-36
  3. Material Consequence

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 37-37
    2. Enthymematic Arguments

      • David Hitchcock
      Pages 39-56
    3. Toulmin’s Warrants

      • David Hitchcock
      Pages 81-95
    4. Non-logical Consequence

      • David Hitchcock
      Pages 97-114
    5. Inference Claims

      • David Hitchcock
      Pages 115-146
    6. Material Consequence and Counterfactuals

      • David Hitchcock
      Pages 147-160
    7. Postscript

      • David Hitchcock
      Pages 161-186
  4. Patterns of Reasoning

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 187-187
    2. Validity in Conductive Arguments

      • David Hitchcock
      Pages 189-200
    3. Reasoning by Analogy: A General Theory

      • David Hitchcock
      Pages 201-214
    4. Pollock on Practical Reasoning

      • David Hitchcock
      Pages 215-224
    5. The Generation of Argument Schemes

      • David Hitchcock
      Pages 225-236
    6. Instrumental Rationality

      • David Hitchcock
      Pages 237-248
    7. Appeals to Considerations

      • David Hitchcock
      Pages 249-275

About this book

This book brings together in one place David Hitchcock’s most significant published articles on reasoning and argument. In seven new chapters he updates his thinking in the light of subsequent scholarship. Collectively, the papers articulate a distinctive position in the philosophy of argumentation.


Among other things, the author:
• develops an account of “material consequence” that permits evaluation of inferences without problematic postulation of unstated premises.
• updates his recursive definition of argument that accommodates chaining and embedding of arguments and allows any type of illocutionary act to be a conclusion. 
• advances a general theory of relevance.
• provides comprehensive frameworks for evaluating inferences in reasoning by analogy, means-end reasoning, and appeals to considerations or criteria.
• argues that none of the forms of arguing ad hominem is a fallacy.
• describes proven methods of teaching critical thinking effectively.


Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Philosophy, McMaster University Department of Philosophy, Hamilton, Canada

    David Hitchcock

About the author

David Hitchcock, professor emeritus of philosophy at McMaster University, is the founding president of the Association for Informal Logic and Critical Thinking, author of Critical Thinking (Methuen, 1983), co-author of Evidence-Based Practice: Logic and Critical Thinking in Medicine (AMA Press, 2005), and co-editor of Arguing on the Toulmin Model (Springer, 2006).

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: On Reasoning and Argument

  • Book Subtitle: Essays in Informal Logic and on Critical Thinking

  • Authors: David Hitchcock

  • Series Title: Argumentation Library

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53562-3

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer International Publishing AG 2017

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-53561-6Published: 19 April 2017

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-85184-6Published: 25 July 2018

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-53562-3Published: 06 April 2017

  • Series ISSN: 1566-7650

  • Series E-ISSN: 2215-1907

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXVII, 553

  • Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations, 6 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Philosophy of Language, Classical Studies, Philology, Literacy, Logic

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access