The Skills of Argument

ISBN-13: 9780521423496 / Angielski / Miękka / 1991 / 336 str.

Deanna Kuhn

Opis

The Skills of Argument presents a comprehensive, empirical study of informal reasoning as argument, involving subjects across the life span. Professor Kuhn asked her subjects questions that people have occasion to think and talk about in everyday life, such as "What causes prisoners to return to crime after they are released?" "What causes unemployment?" "What causes children to fail in school?" Subjects were asked to offer their own theories regarding the cause of the phenomenon and then asked to provide supporting evidence for their theories. This is the first major study of how people reason in everyday life, and it highlights the importance of argumentative reasoning in everyday thought. Professor Kuhn's findings address crucial issues in cognitive and developmental psychology, as well as in education, and her work will also appeal to philosophers, political scientists, and linguists interested in argumentative discourse.

Recenzje

' … highly unique and original contribution to our understanding of the processes that underlie our everyday decisions, beliefs, and theories, and it should serve as a springboard for further inquiry into argumentive thinking.' Educational Researcher

Spis treści

Acknowledgments; 1. Introduction; 2. Causal theories; 3. Evidence to support theories; 4. Alternative theories; 5. Counterarguments; 6. Rebuttals; 7. Epistemological theories; 8. Evaluation of evidence; 9. The role of expertise; 10. Conclusion; Appendices; References; Index.