Argumentation Sep 2025 Open Access

One Concept of Argument

Marcin Lewiński Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Abstract

Abstract Part of the business of argumentation theory involves resolving a conceptual dispute over what argumentation and argument are in the first place. This dispute has produced various “concepts of argument.” The goal of this paper is twofold: (1) to develop a complete ontology of argumentative phenomena, capable of accounting for various conceptions of argument—something, as I argue, that is badly wanting in argumentation theory; and, within this ontology, (2) to defend a position that there is but one concept of argument needed to grasp these diverse phenomena and conceptions of argument and argumentation. I move in four steps. First, I briefly sketch the discussion over arguments-as-activities and arguments-as-products. Second, I go back to the classic work of Twardowski on actions and products and adapt it for argumentation theory, producing a complex yet systematically organized conceptual ontology of argument and argumentation. This conceptual housekeeping allows me, third, to critically engage some of the recent, Frege-inspired philosophical literature on the concept of argument, while defending act-based approaches to argument(ation). Fourth, I present a positive proposal of a minimal, contrastivist concept of argument as a set of reasons advanced to support a conclusion C 1 rather than another conclusion C n .

Journal
Argumentation
Published
2025-09-01
DOI
10.1007/s10503-025-09654-3
CompPile
Open Access
OA PDF Hybrid
Topics
Export
BibTeX RIS

Citation context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Holweger (2026)
    Two Logical Senses of ‘Argument’
    Argumentation

References (90) · 10 in this index

  1. Aberdein (2010)
    Virtue in Argument
    Argumentation
  2. S Aikin (2021)
    Aikin, S. 2021. Argumentative adversariality, contrastive reasons, and the winners-and-losers problem. Topoi …
    Topoi  ↗
  3. S Aikin (2022)
    Aikin, S., and J. Casey. 2022. Argumentation and the problem of agreement. Synthese 200 (134): 1–23.
    Synthese
  4. Ajdukiewicz, K. 1974. Pragmatic Logic. Trans. by O. Wojtasiewicz. Synthese Library, Vol. 62. Dordrecht: Reidel.
     ↗
  5. L Bermejo-Luque (2011)
    Giving reasons: A linguistic-pragmatic approach to argumentation theory
     ↗
Show all 90 →
  1. Betti, A. 2016. Kazimierz Twardowski. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2016 Ed…
  2. DS Birdsell (1996)
    Birdsell, D.S., and L. Groarke. 1996. Toward a theory of visual argument. Argumentation and Advocacy 33 (1): 1–10.
    Argumentation and Advocacy
  3. (2012)
    Contrastivism in philosophy
  4. M Black (1946)
    Critical thinking: An introduction to logic and scientific method
  5. Blair (1998)
    The Limits of the Dialogue Model of Argument
    Argumentation
  6. Bobryk, J. 2009. The genesis and history of Twardowski’s theory of actions and products. In S. Lapointe, et a…
     ↗
  7. IM Bocheński (1951)
    Ancient formal logic
  8. P Bodlović (2024)
    Bodlović, P., and M. Lewiński. 2024. How do explanations justify? An extended scheme for the Inference to the…
    Informal Logic
  9. Boghossian, P. 2014. What is inference? Philosophical Studies, 169(1), 1–18.
     ↗
  10. Brandl., J. L. & Woleński, J. 1999. Introduction. In K. Twardowski, On Actions, Products, and Other Topics in…
     ↗
  11. Broome, J. (2013)
    Rationality through reasoning
     ↗
  12. LJ Buhagiar (2023)
    Buhagiar, L.J., and G. Sammut. 2023. The Minimal Model of Argumentation: Qualitative data analysis for episte…
    Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour  ↗
  13. DJ Chalmers (2011)
    Chalmers, D.J. 2011. Verbal disputes. Philosophical Review 120 (4): 515–556.
    Philosophical Review  ↗
  14. R Chang (2016)
    Weighing reasons
     ↗
  15. I Dove (2002)
    Dove, I. 2002. Can pictures prove? Logique and Analyse 45 (179–180): 309–340.
    Logique and Analyse
  16. F Dretske (1970)
    Dretske, F. 1970. Epistemic operators. Journal of Philosophy 67 (24): 1007–1023.
    Journal of Philosophy  ↗
  17. F Dretske (1972)
    Dretske, F. 1972. Contrastive statements. Philosophical Review 81 (4): 411–437.
    Philosophical Review  ↗
  18. M Dummett (1993)
    Origins of analytical philosophy
  19. PM Dung (1995)
    Dung, P.M. 1995. On the acceptability of arguments and its fundamental role in nonmonotonic reasoning, logic …
    Artificial Intelligence  ↗
  20. Dutilh Novaes, C. 2021. Argument and argumentation. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy…
  21. FH van Eemeren (2014)
    Handbook of argumentation theory
     ↗
  22. FH van Eemeren (1984)
    Speech acts in argumentative discussions: A theoretical model for the analysis of discuss…
     ↗
  23. FH Eemeren (2004)
    A systematic theory of argumentation: The pragma-dialectical approach
  24. RH Ennis (1996)
    Critical thinking
  25. Frege, G. 1892/1948. Über Sinn und Bedeutung, in Zeitschrift für Philosophie und philosophische Kritik, 100: 25-50
  26. translated as 'On Sense and Reference' by M. Black in The Philosophical Review, 57(3), (1948), 209-230.
     ↗
  27. Frege, G. 1918/1956. Der Gedanke. Eine Logische Untersuchung, in Beiträge zur Philosophie des deutschen Ideal…
     ↗
  28. translated as 'The Thought: A Logical Inquiry' by A. M. Quinton & M. Quinton in Mind, 65(259), (1956), 289-311.
     ↗
  29. Gascón (2018)
    Virtuous Arguers: Responsible and Reliable
    Argumentation
  30. Gilbert, M.A. 1995. The delimitation of argument. Inquiry: Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines, 15(1), 63–75.
     ↗
  31. Goddu, G.C. 2009. Refining Hitchcock‘s Definition of ‘Argument’. In J. Ritola (Ed.), Argument Cultures: Proce…
  32. GC Goddu (2011)
    Goddu, G.C. 2011a. Is ‘argument’ subject to the product/process ambiguity? Informal Logic 31 (2): 75–88.
    Informal Logic  ↗
  33. Goddu, G.C. 2011b. Commentary on ‘Arguments as abstract objects’ by Paul Simard-Smith and Andrei Moldovan. In…
  34. Goodman (2018)
    On Defining ‘Argument’
    Argumentation
  35. Goodwin, J. (2007)
    Goodwin, J. 2007. Argument has no function. Informal Logic 27 (1): 69–90.
    Informal Logic  ↗
  36. J Goodwin (2014)
    Goodwin, J. 2014. Conceptions of speech acts in the theory and practice of argumentation: A case study of a d…
    Studies in Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric  ↗
  37. Groarke (2015)
    Going Multimodal: What is a Mode of Arguing and Why Does it Matter?
    Argumentation
  38. U Hahn (2024)
    Hahn, U. 2024. Individuals, collectives, and individuals in collectives: The ineliminable role of dependence.…
    Perspectives on Psychological Science  ↗
  39. CL Hamblin (1970)
    Fallacies
  40. D Hample (1985)
    Hample, D. 1985. A third perspective on argument. Philosophy and Rhetoric 18 (1): 1–22.
    Philosophy and Rhetoric
  41. Hanks, P. (2007)
    Hanks, P. 2007. The content–force distinction. Philosophical Studies 134 (2): 141–164.
    Philosophical Studies  ↗
  42. Hanks, P. (2015)
    Propositional content
     ↗
  43. P Hanks (2018)
    New work on speech acts
  44. A Haro Marchal (2023)
    Haro Marchal, A. 2023. Argumentation as a speech act: Two levels of analysis. Topoi 42 (2): 481–494.
    Topoi  ↗
  45. D Hitchcock (2007)
    Philosophy of Logic
     ↗
  46. T Hodgson (2021)
    Hodgson, T. 2021. Act-type theories of propositions. Philosophy Compass 16: e12788.
    Philosophy Compass  ↗
  47. S Jackson (2019)
    Jackson, S. 2019. Reason-giving and the natural normativity of argumentation. Topoi 38 (4): 631–643.
    Topoi  ↗
  48. Jacobs (1989)
    Speech acts and arguments
    Argumentation
  49. S Jacobs (2024)
    Jacobs, S. 2024. Arguments and speech acts reconsidered. Topoi 43 (4): 1269–1286.
    Topoi  ↗
  50. S Jacobs (1981)
    Jacobs, S., and S. Jackson. 1981. Argument as a natural category: The routine grounds for arguing in conversa…
    The Western Journal of Speech Communication  ↗
  51. R Johnson (2000)
    Manifest rationality
  52. Jubien, M. (2001)
    Jubien, M. 2001. Propositions and the objects of thought. Philosophical Studies 104 (1): 47–62.
    Philosophical Studies  ↗
  53. Kahneman, D. (2011)
    Thinking fast and slow
  54. Labinaz, P. (2021)
    Labinaz, P. 2021. Argumentation as a speech act: A (provisional) balance. Croatian Journal of Philosophy 21 (…
    Croatian Journal of Philosophy  ↗
  55. E Lalumera (2014)
    Lalumera, E. 2014. On the explanatory value of the concept-conception distinction. Rivista Italiana di Filoso…
    Rivista Italiana di Filosofia Del Linguaggio
  56. Lewiński. M. (2021)
    Lewiński. M. 2021. Speech act pluralism in argumentative polylogues. Informal Logic 41 (3): 421–451.
    Informal Logic  ↗
  57. (2023)
    Argumentation in complex communication: Managing disagreement in a polylogue
  58. E Margolis (2007)
    Margolis, E., and S. Laurence. 2007. The ontology of concepts—Abstract objects or mental representations? Noû…
    Noûs  ↗
  59. Margolis, E., and S. Laurence. 2023. Concepts. In E. N. Zalta & U. Nodelman (eds.), The Stanford Encyclopedia…
  60. H Mercier (2011)
    Mercier, H., and D. Sperber. 2011. Why do humans reason? Arguments for an argumentative theory. Behavioral an…
    Behavioral and Brain Sciences  ↗
  61. WA Miskiewicz (2017)
    Act-based conceptions of propositional content: Contemporary and historical perspectives
  62. Mohammed (2016)
    Goals in Argumentation: A Proposal for the Analysis and Evaluation of Public Po…
    Argumentation
  63. F Moltmann (2013)
    Moltmann, F. 2013. Propositions, attitudinal objects, and the distinction between actions and products. Canad…
    Canadian Journal of Philosophy  ↗
  64. (2017)
    Act-based conceptions of propositional content: Contemporary and historical perspectives
  65. DJ O’Keefe (1977)
    O’Keefe, D.J. 1977. Two concepts of argument. Journal of the American Forensic Association 13 (3): 121–128.
    Journal of the American Forensic Association
  66. T Parsons (1996)
    Parsons, T. 1996. What is an argument? The Journal of Philosophy 93 (4): 164–185.
    The Journal of Philosophy  ↗
  67. Patterson, S.W. (2011)
    Patterson, S.W. 2011. Functionalism, normativity and the concept of argumentation. Informal Logic 31 (1): 1–26.
    Informal Logic
  68. Popper, K.R. 1968. Epistemology without a knowing subject. In B. Van Rootselaar & J.F. Staal (Eds.), Logic, M…
     ↗
  69. M van der Schaar (2006)
    Actions, Products and Things: Brentano and Polish Philosophy
     ↗
  70. J Schaffer (2004)
    Schaffer, J. 2004. From contextualism to contrastivism. Philosophical Studies 119 (1–2): 73–103.
    Philosophical Studies  ↗
  71. JR Searle (1995)
    The construction of social reality
  72. JR Searle (2010)
    Making the social world: The structure of human civilization
     ↗
  73. Siegel et al. (2008)
    Rationality, Reasonableness, and Critical Rationalism: Problems with the Pragma…
    Argumentation
  74. P Simard-Smith (2011)
    Simard-Smith, P., and A. Moldovan. 2011. Arguments as abstract objects. Informal Logic 31 (3): 230–261.
    Informal Logic  ↗
  75. W Sinnott-Armstrong (2008)
    Sinnott-Armstrong, W. 2008. A contrastivist manifesto. Social Epistemology 22 (3): 257–270.
    Social Epistemology  ↗
  76. J Snedegar (2015)
    Snedegar, J. 2015. Contrastivism about reasons and ought. Philosophy Compass 10 (6): 379–388.
    Philosophy Compass  ↗
  77. Snoeck Henkemans, A. F. (2014)
    Snoeck Henkemans, A. F. 2014. Speech act theory and the study of argumentation. Studies in Logic, Grammar and…
    Studies in Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric  ↗
  78. S Soames (2015)
    Rethinking language, mind, and meaning
     ↗
  79. Svoboda (2020)
    On Defining ‘Argument’: Comments on Goodman
    Argumentation
  80. LS Temkin (2012)
    Rethinking the good: Moral ideals and the nature of practical reasoning
     ↗
  81. A Thomasson (1999)
    Fiction and metaphysics
  82. CW Tindale (2015)
    The philosophy of argument and audience reception
     ↗
  83. Twardowski, K. 1999. Actions and products. Some remarks on the borderline of psychology, grammar, and logic. …
     ↗
  84. DN Walton (1990)
    Walton, D.N. 1990. What is reasoning? What is an argument? The Journal of Philosophy 87 (8): 399–419.
    The Journal of Philosophy  ↗
  85. Zenker et al. (2024)
    Norms of Public Argumentation and the Ideals of Correctness and Participation
    Argumentation
CrossRef global citation count: 2 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Related articles

  1. Rhetoric Society Quarterly May 2025
    “What’s Crazy Is Look How Better I Got”: Rethinking Ethos in the Crisis of Perpetual Stasis ↗
    Amy Koerber; Tameem Al-Shawaf
    argument
  2. Philosophy & Rhetoric Apr 2025
    The Problem of Democratic Persuasion ↗
    Linda M. G. Zerilli
    argument
  3. Philosophy & Rhetoric Dec 2024
    Can Rational Persuasion Be Epistemically Paternalistic? ↗
    Patrick Bondy
    argument
  4. Philosophy & Rhetoric Dec 2024
    Argument’s Autonomy Problem ↗
    John Casey
    argument
  5. Philosophy & Rhetoric Dec 2024
    Autonomy and Argumentation: An Introduction ↗
    John Casey; Katharina Stevens
    argument