The 4 Main Types of Argumentation and Examples

The Types of argument Main are deductive argumentation, inductive argumentation, abductive argumentation and argumentation by analogy.

Argumentation is one of the ways in which the human being can use language. This is the process through which affirmative or negative statements are used to support or refute a proposition.

The 4 Main Types of Argumentation and Examples

There are different types of arguments and, therefore, different types of arguments. To be more specific, for each type of argument, there is a type of argument. Each type of argument has a particular use, weaknesses and strengths.

To begin with, we find inductive argumentation, deductive argumentation, and abductive argumentation. These three types of argumentation constitute what is known as logical reasoning.

Of these two types, the second is considered the most reliable since it offers logical conclusions drawn from true premises.

Inductive argumentation, on the other hand, is less reliable than deductive, since premises are assumptions.

In this sense, the conclusion will only be correct if the premises are. Finally, abductive argumentation offers the most logical premises from the conclusion given.

Other types of argumentation are by analogy, by signs, by examples, by testimony, by cause and effect, among others.

Main Types of Argumentation

1- Deductive Argumentation

Deductive argumentation is the best kind of argumentation because it draws conclusions from premises that are verifiable and verifiable.

The validity of the deductive arguments comes from the reasoning that is done about the premises: if valid premises are presented, the conclusion can only be valid.

It is necessary to emphasize that the deductive argument presents a limitation: these arguments lack evidence beyond what is presented in the premises, reason why it requires the use of other resources to support the arguments.

The basic form of deductive arguments is as follows:

If A is B and B is C, then A is C.

Let's take an example to illustrate this concept:

If dolphins are mammals and mammals produce breast milk, then dolphins produce breast milk.

The deductive argument can also be formulated as follows:

All that is A is B. C is B. Then C is A.

For example: All human beings are mortal. I am a human being. Then I am mortal.

This is the prototype of deductive argument, and was proposed by Aristotle under the nomenclature of"syllogism".

As can be seen, two premises and one conclusion are presented:

Premise # 1: All that is A is B.

Premise # 2: C is B.

Conclusion: Then C is A.

Of these two premises, the first one is called"universal proposition"since it offers general information on the subject to treat. For example: Everybody Humans are Mortal .

The second premise is called a specific statement, since it provides more detailed information on the subject to be addressed. For example: I I am a human being .

These two premises logically lead to the conclusion. If all human beings are mortal and I am a human being, then Indeed I am mortal .

2- Inductive argumentation

In the previous section, we mention that the limitation of the deductive arguments is that they lack exhaustive evidence, reason why it is necessary to resort to other elements. This limitation is solved with inductive argumentation.

Basically, the inductive argument consists of assuming the premises to generate arguments that serve to support the conclusion.

In this way, it is probable and not insurance That the conclusions are true. In this case, the validity of the conclusion comes from the induction ability of the person making the premises.

The inductive argumentation is weak since the results offered by it are Plausible , Acceptable but no Conclusive . In this sense, they oppose deductive argument.

An example of inductive argumentation is as follows:

Conclusion: The grass is wet when it rains.

Premise: Every time it rains, the grass gets wet.

As can be seen, the inductive arguments infer the antecedents for an observable condition. In the example, the observable condition is that the grass is wet when it has rained. From this condition, premises are extracted that could be true.

3 - Abductive Argumentation

Abductive argumentation resembles inductive argumentation by the fact that conclusions are drawn from a premise.

Another similarity between abductive argumentation and inductive argumentation is that both can produce erroneous results.

It should be noted that the main characteristic of abductive arguments is that they are The best explanation For the conclusion that is presented.

For example:

Conclusion: The lawn is wet but I have not watered it.

Abductive argument: It must have rained.

The abductive argument presented is the most logical explanation for the observed conclusion. However, this does not mean that the argument is correct. We could have someone else in the house water the lawn and we did not know.

Examples of abductive argumentation are the astounding Sherlock Holmes , Character of many of the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Unlike what is commonly considered, Detective Holmes abducts and does not deduce.

"-Lets start by the beginning. I arrived at the house, as you know, on foot and with the brain free of all kinds of impressions. Of course, I began by examining the road, and discovered, as I have already explained, The clear footprints of a carriage, And this carriage, as I have deduced from my investigations, Had been there in the course of the night . From the narrow mark of the wheels I was convinced that it was not a private carriage, but a rental car. The four-wheeled Hansom car they call Growler is much narrower than the particular named Brougham. That was the first point I wrote down."

"Scarlet Study"by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

4- Argumentation by analogy

This type of argumentation occurs when a subject is not well known but, in light of other evidence that is handled, more or less logical conclusions can be produced.

For example: In my car, the lever on the left is the one that turns the shift lights on. Therefore, in this other car the lever on the left should make the shift lamps work.

References

  1. Argument. Retrieved on August 8, 2017, from wikipedia.org
  2. Different types of arguments. Retrieved on August 8, 2017, from rlf.org.uk
  3. Argument skills: Two Types of Arguments. Retrieved on August 8, 2017, from argumentskills.com
  4. Types of Argumentation. Retrieved on August 8, 2017, from lumen.instructure.com
  5. Three types of arguments. Retrieved on August 8, 2017, from ux1.eiu.edu
  6. Types of Arguments Styles. Retrieved on August 8, 2017, from classroom.synonym.com
  7. Types of Argument. Retrieved on August 8, 2017, from owl.excelsior.edu.


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