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Assessing Dialectical Relevance Using Argument Distance

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Inquiries in Philosophical Pragmatics

Part of the book series: Perspectives in Pragmatics, Philosophy & Psychology ((PEPRPHPS,volume 27))

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Abstract

In this paper some lessons are learned regarding how to extend and deepen the theory of Macagno (Assessing relevance. Lingua 210–211:42–64, 2018) on assessing dialectical relevance by using the notion of argument distance. An argument is defined as dialectically relevant if it is an appropriate move in a multiagent dialogue exchange. Three examples are studied where a criticism of relevance is made against an argument, and the problem posed is how a response to this type of criticism should be judged to be justified or not, based on the evidence. Based on these examples, an algorithm is presented that helps the user to determine argument distance in a given case as a means of helping to judge whether a criticism that an argument is not relevant is justified or not.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/fre/rule_104.

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Walton, D. (2021). Assessing Dialectical Relevance Using Argument Distance. In: Macagno, F., Capone, A. (eds) Inquiries in Philosophical Pragmatics. Perspectives in Pragmatics, Philosophy & Psychology, vol 27. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56437-7_11

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