Argumentation schemes as a way of arguments studies

Abstract

The paper investigates argument (argumentation) schemes that are used in the theory of argumentation for analyzing everyday reasoning. Such schemes should be understood as structures representing the most general types of argument. Today they are studied not only from theoretical perspectives but also in relation to their application in education and information technologies. Argumentation schemes allow us to identify, produce and evaluate real arguments, as well as critically assess discussions. Despite their popularity, argumentation schemes face some problems. The current presentation introduces the concept of schemes, describes their possible classifications, analyzes strengths and limitations in various approaches. However, the main focus of the paper is on the direction in which the conception of an argument scheme is being developed. I argue that the new stage of its development can be correlated with the birth of a dynamic style of argument in­vestigation that is opposed to a static version. A similar dichotomy can be observed in logic that stands for two types of formality: as pertaining to forms and as pertaining to rules.