New Dialectical Rules For Ambiguity

Authors

  • Douglas Walton

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22329/il.v20i3.2280

Keywords:

principle of charity, equivocation, statutory interpretation, argument evaluation, conversation, dialogue, discourse, multiple arguments, fallacy

Abstract

A set often rules is proposed for dealing with problems of ambiguity when interpreting a text of argumentative discourse. The rules are based on Grice's pragmatic rules for a collaborative conversation and on principles and maxims used to deal with ambiguity in interpreting legal and religious writings. The rules are meant to be applied to a given argument used in a given case, and to resolve (or at least deal with) an ambiguity in the argument (or affecting the argument) by using evidence derived from the text and context of dialogue surrounding the argument in the case.

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Published

2000-01-01

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 3 (2000)

Section

Articles

License

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