Informal Logic: A Handbook for Critical Argument

Douglas N Walton

ISBN 10: 0521379253 / ISBN 13: 9780521379250

Published by Cambridge University Press, 1989

About this Item

This is an introductory guidebook to the basic principles of how to construct good arguments and how to criticeze bad ones. It is non-technical in its approach and is based on 150 key examples, each discussed and evaluated in clear, illustrative detail. Professor Walton, a leading authority in the field of informal logic, explains how errors, fallacies, and other key failures of argument occur. He shows how correct uses of argument are based on sound strategies for reasoned persuasion and critical responses. Among the many subjects covered are: forms of valid argument, relevance, appeals to emotion, personal attack, uses and abuses of expert opinion, problems in deploying statistics, loading terms, equivocation, arguments from analogy, and techniques of posing, replying to, and criticizing questions. The book will be ideally suited to courses in informal logic and in the introduction to philosophy. It will also prove valuable to studetns of pragmatics, rhetoric, and speech communication.

Seller Inventory # CIN0521379253G

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Informal Logic: A Handbook for Critical Argument
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Date: 1989
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521379253
• ISBN 13: 9780521379250
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

This is an introductory guide to the basic principles of constructing good arguments and criticizing bad ones. It is nontechnical in its approach, and is based on 150 key examples, each discussed and evaluated in clear, illustrative detail. The author explains how errors, fallacies, and other key failures of argument occur. He shows how correct uses of argument are based on sound argument strategies for reasoned persuasion and critical questions for responding. Among the many subjects covered are: techniques of posing, replying to, and criticizing questions, forms of valid argument, relevance, appeals to emotion, personal attack, uses and abuses of expert opinion, problems in deploying statistics, loaded terms, equivocation, and arguments from analogy.

Review

"A fine book on informal logic, also known as `critical thinking'... The treatment of topics throughout is thorough and meticulous; fine analytic distinctions, a large number of real life illustrations, and clear writing enhance the value of the work." Choice

"In a word, Informal Logic: A Handbook for Critical Argumentation is the best book in the field I have come across in recent years." Roy Martinez, Teaching Philosophy

"...the book is well-written and provides easy to follow examples of different arguments and fallacies. For those who find current argumentation and debate books inadequate, Informal Logic fills a void." Thomas Murphy, Argumentation and Advocacy