Estilos de argumentación occidental

Abstract

In this work I describe some argument reasoning styles that have been popular in Western culture for about 3 millennia. One must ask if it is desirable to promote such styles, and whether they provide a good explanation of what happens when someone states an argument. Some style examples are: belligerent, disputative, controversial, foundational, systematizing and epideictic. None of them is appropriate for every case, yet all of them shed light on particular aspects of our rationality. At its most basic level, argument reasoning is intended for advocating for a thesis, but other argument aspects should be added to it as needed: doubt, defense, attack, persuasion, dialogue, systematization, recommendation, among others – although we should resist the temptation of treating them as essential elements of argument reasoning.