Counterarguments

Abstract

AbstractThe concept of counterargument lies at the heart of argument dialectics. The importance attached to the relations between arguments ―especially those of opposition— establishes a clear distinction between argument dialectics and logic, whether formal or informal. My first aim in this chapter is to give a suitable definition of counterargument; my second aim is to establish a typology of counterarguments. Before we start, it is important to note that in the sequel we will consider only logical counterarguments: arguments criticizing another argument on account of its logical properties. Hence ways of attacking an argument for being ineffective for a given audience or for procedural matters will not be considered here.