Argumentative Strategies and Stylistic Devices

Abstract

The extended pragma-dialectical argumentation theory assumes that people engaged in argumentative discourse manoeuvre strategically. In argumentative reality, the strategic manoeuvring is often carried out according to an argumentative strategy. Language users make an effort to present their strategic manoeuvres in a specific way and the analysis of the stylistic choices in actual argumentative discourse is the most important basis for identification and analysis of argumentative strategies. In this article, it is shown what requirements must be satisfied by a systematic stylistic analysis of argumentative discourse, and the results of such an analysis are illustrated by means of a case study.

On the relation between argumentative style and linguistic style

“…tative style. More specifically, we would like to argue that one should choose the so-called "linguistic-stylistic approach" ( van Leeuwen 2015;Stukker & Verhagen 2019; see also van Haaften & van Leeuwen 2018;van Haaften 2019) in order to analyse systematically how arguers employ a set of coordinated and coherent linguistic choices in the verbal realisation of their argumentative strategies. We will enunciate this linguistic-stylistic approach and how it can be integrated in a pragma-dialectical analysis of argumentative discourse (Section 3) and show on the basis of a case study what this analysis method can yield for the identification and analysis of argumentative strategies as part of an arguer's argumentative style (Section 4).…”

“…The linguistic-stylistic method is further characterised by three methodological principles: (1) using a checklist of linguistic categories, (2) working comparatively and (3) establishing specific communicative or interactional effects on the basis of a semantic and pragmatic analysis of language forms used in the discourse (cf. Leech & Short 2007;van Leeuwen 2015;van Haaften & van Leeuwen 2018;Stukker & Verhagen 2019;van Haaften 2019).…”

“…In order to integrate a systematic linguistic-stylistic analysis into a general pragma-dialectical analysis of argumentative discourse, the following methodological steps are necessary (cf. van Haaften & van Leeuwen 2018;van Haaften 2019):…”

“…In this paper, we discuss and illustrate how a linguistic-stylistic analysis can be conducted systematically by making use of methodological insights from the so-called "linguistic-stylistic approach" ( van Leeuwen 2015;Stukker & Verhagen 2019), and how such an analysis can be integrated in a pragma-dialectical analysis of argumentative discourse (see also van Haaften & van Leeuwen 2018;van Haaften 2019). Our aim is to show how such an integration can be helpful in analysing the presentational aspect of an argumentative style, and how the outcomes of such an analysis can be linked to another aspect of argumentative style, namely the strategic considerations implemented in the argumentative discourse and more particularly the argumentative strategies involved.…”