Argumentation theory, or argumentation, is the science of effective civil debate or dialogue and the effective propagation thereof, using rules of inference and logic, as applied in the real world setting. Argumentation is concerned primarily with reaching conclusions through logical reasoning based on certain premises. Although including debate and negotiation which are concerned with reaching mutually acceptable conclusions, argumentation theory also encompasses the branch of social debate in which victory over an opponent is the primary goal. This science is often the means by which people protect their beliefs or self-interests in rational dialogue, in common parlance, and during arguing. Argumentation is also applied in law, such as court trials, preparing an argument, and to test the validity of certain kinds of evidence.

As it relates to philosophy, argumentation is used with or without empirical evidence to establish a convincing conclusion about issues which are moral, scientific, epistemic, or of a nature in which science alone cannot answer. Argumentation theory employs the field of informal logic in constructing credible arguments and identifying faulty reasoning.

Argumentation is also a formal discipline within artificial intelligence where the aim is to make a computer assist in or perform the act of argumentation. Typically an argument has an internal structure, comprising i) a set of assumptions or premises, ii) a method of reasoning or deduction and iii) a conclusion or point. Often classical logic is used as the method of reasoning so that the conclusion follows logically from the assumptions or support. One challenge is that if the set of assumptions is inconsistent then anything can follow logically from inconsistency. Therefore it is common to insist that the set of assumptions is consistent. It is also good practice to require the set of assumptions to be the minimal set, with respect to set inclusion, necessary to infer the consequent. Such arguments are called MINCON arguments, short for minimal consistent. Such argumentation has been applied to the fields of law and medicine. A second school of argumentation investigates abstract arguments that by definition have no internal structure.

In its most common form, argumentation involves an individual and an interlocutor/or opponent engaged in dialogue, each contending differing positions and trying to persuade each other. Other types of dialogue in addition to persuasion are eristic, information seeking, inquiry, negotiation, deliberation, and the dialectical method (Doug Walton). The dialectical method was made famous by Plato and his use of Socrates critically questioning various characters and historical figures.

The key components of argumentation:

• Understanding and identifying the presentation of an argument, either explicit or implied, and the goals of the participants in the different types of dialogue.

• Identifying the conclusion and the premises from which the conclusion is derived

• Establishing the "Burden of proof" – determining who made the initial claim and is thus responsible for providing evidence why his/her position merits acceptance

• For the one carrying the "Burden of proof", the defender, to marshal evidence for his/her position in order to convince or force the opponent's acceptance. The method by which this is accomplished is producing valid, sound, and cogent arguments, devoid of weaknesses, and not easily attacked

• For the attacker, to listen and find faulty reasoning in the opponent’s argument, to attack the reasons/premises of the argument, to provide counterexamples if possible, to identify any logical fallacies, and to show why a valid conclusion cannot be derived from the reasons provided for his/her argument

See also

• Burden of proof
• Critical thinking
• Essentially Contested Concepts
• Informal logic

• Legal theory
• Logical fallacy
• Logical argument
• Rhetoric

Links on argumentation theory

• http://www.cs.uu.nl/people/henry/research/argtheory.html
• http://argue.net
• http://www.tcw.utwente.nl/theorieenoverzicht/Levels%20of%20theories/micro/Argumentation%20Theory.doc/
• http://io.uwinnipeg.ca/~walton/