Abstract

This chapter discusses nondeductive argumentation in classical Chinese philosophy. There are three kinds: paradox, analogy, and appeal to example. Many of the paradoxes of the so-called disputers can be made to seem veridical, or at least veridical in spirit, if interpreted sympathetically. In addition, reasoning by analogy was a crucial mode of deliberation in traditional China. It was one of the hallmarks of Chinese jurisprudence and also figures prominently in early Chinese poetics. Finally, appeals to example are nearly ubiquitous in ancient Chinese philosophy (the most prominent text not to resort to them is Laozi), and this chapter divides the technique into a number of subtypes.

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