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Relevance In Argumentation
TLFeBOOK
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TLFeBOOK
Relevance In Argumentation
Douglas Walton
University of Winnipeg
LAWRENCE ERLBAUM ASSOCIATES, PUBLISHERS
2004 Mahwah, New Jersey London
TLFeBOOK
Camera ready copy for this book was provided by the author.
Copyright © 2004 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in
any form, by photostat, microform, retrieval system, or any
other means, without prior written permission of the pub-
lisher.
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers
10 Industrial Avenue
Mahwah, New Jersey 07430
Cover design by Sean Sciarrone
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Walton, Douglas
Relevance in argumentation / Douglas Walton.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8058-4759-6 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN 0-8058-4760-X (pbk. : alk. paper)
Logic. 2. Relevance. I. Title.
2003
168—dc21 2003044099
CIP
Books published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates are printed
on acid-free paper, and their bindings are chosen for strength and
durability.
Printed in the United States of America
10 987654321
TLFeBOOK
For Karen, with love
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Table of Contents
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xv
CHAPTER 1: EXAMPLES OF IRRELEVANT ARGUMENTS 1
1. The Exclusionary Function 2
2. Irrelevance in a Political Debate 4
3. Murder is a Horrible Crime 8
4. Problems in Judging an Argument Irrelevant 10
5. Material Relevance 13
6. Other Fallacies of Irrelevance 15
7. Irrelevance in Legal Argumentation 17
8. The Straw Man Fallacy 21
9. Relevance as Relative to a Discussion 25
10. The Dialectical Nature of Relevance 28
CHAPTER!: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 31
1. Aristotle on Misconception of Refutation 32
2. The Ancient Concept of Stasis 35
3. Irrelevance and Digression 38
4. William of Sherwood on Ignoratio Elenchi 42
5. The Obligation Game 44
6. Th