My Continuing Journey from Logic to Computational Argumentation

Abstract

This paper begins with a brief account of how I started out as a young logician studying modal logic with the hope that it would be useful when applied to evaluating real examples of arguments found in natural language texts. The exposition moves on to relate how my interests shifted to the study of argumentation in informal logic, and from there to computational systems combining defeasible argumentation schemes with argument mapping (diagramming). The story ends by leading to recent collaborations with three young logicians and computer scientists who are continuing on the path of my journey.