J. Anthony Blair: Groundwork in the Theory of Argumentation: Selected Papers of J. Anthony Blair. Introduction by Christopher W. Tindale

Abstract

The book presents a selection of paper authored by J. Anthony Blair, one of the most important personalities in the field of argumentation studies, “a frontline worker or pioneer”, (Christopher Tindale), and, I’d like to add, a stylist. The book cover 30 years of research, from 1981 to 2011. Twenty papers are grouped under four thematic sections, “Critical Thinking”, “Informal Logic”, “Argumentation Theory”, and “Logic, Dialectic and Rhetoric”. Each section is preceded by an “Introduction” giving its main orientation, and followed by a “Postscript”, presenting the 2012 author’s afterthoughts; all that gives to the book a “novelistic impulse” prompting the reader to further readings and new theoretical developments. This review focuses on three key questions, that is, (1) the evolution of Blair theoretical vision, from the “Relevance–Acceptability–Sufficiency” criteria, which have defined what may be called the “standard Informal Logic theory” (2) the integration of the reasoning, schemes and the dialogue with the Pragma-dialectical theory; (3) the dialogue with rhetoric about the plurality of norms applicable to authentic argumentative discourse.