Abstract
In order to create an adequate point of departure for a fair evaluation of an argumentative discourse an analytic reconstruction is required that results in an analytic overview of the crucial components of the discourse. As is demonstrated with the help of an argumentative text, in a theoretically-motivated reconstruction in accordance with the pragma-dialectical theory of argumentation four kinds of analytic operations need to be carried out, which are known as reconstruction transformations: deletion, addition, substitution, and permutation. Next it is explained how the reconstruction of a text like this can lead to an adequate analytic overview. The chapter is concluded by an exemplary analysis of a specific case and an exposition of the resources that are brought to bear in accounting for the analytic overview resulting from the analysis.
This chapter is primarily based on van Eemeren and Grootendorst (1992: 13–102) and van Eemeren et al. (1993: 37–90).
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Notes
- 1.
Analytically relevant means relevant to resolving a difference of opinion on the merits. See Sect. 5.1 of this volume.
- 2.
Next to reconstruction transformations, pragma-dialectics also distinguishes presentation transformations, which are used in writing or rewriting argumentative texts (van Eemeren and Grootendorst 1999).
- 3.
- 4.
The original discourse comes into play again when the strategic manoeuvring is taken into account in the analysis. See Chap. 7 of this volume.
- 5.
This text was introduced for this purpose in van Eemeren and Grootendorst (2004: 100).
- 6.
The pragma-dialectical method for making an analytic overview is explained in van Eemeren and Grootendorst (13–102). For its practical application see van Eemeren and Snoeck Henkemans (2016).
- 7.
This analysis is based on van Eemeren (2015: 521–542).
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van Eemeren, F.H. (2018). Analysis as Resolution-Oriented Reconstruction. In: Argumentation Theory: A Pragma-Dialectical Perspective. Argumentation Library, vol 33. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95381-6_6
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