Ethical argumentation / Douglas Walton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Walton, Douglas N.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ethics.

Physical Description:

xviii, 311 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Md. : Lexington Books, [2003]

Contents:

1 Fundamentals of Ethical Argumentation 1

1. Legal Arguments 2

2. Hard Cases and Easy Cases 5

3. Ross's Theory of Ethical Reasoning 8

4. Comparison of Ethical and Legal Arguments 10

5. The Problem of Emotive Language 13

6. Toward a New Framework 18

7. Aristotle on Endoxic Ethical Justification 21

8. Evaluating Ethical Argumentation in a Dialogue Format 24

9. Deliberation and Practical Reasoning 29

10. Concluding Perspectives 33

2 The Layered Maieutic Case Study Method 39

1. A Case from Medical Ethics 40

2. The Layer of Deliberation 42

3. Dialectical Shifts 47

4. The Layer of Critical Discussion 49

5. Maieutic Insight and Commitment 52

6. The Case Analysis and Discussion 54

7. The Structure of a Layered Case Study 56

8. Current Status of Casuistry in Ethics 61

9. How to Evaluate a Layered Case Study 63

10. Summary of the Layered Maieutic Case Study Method 66

3 The Central Characteristics of Ethical Reasoning 69

1. The Problem of Circular Ethical Justification 71

2. Ethical and Legal Reasoning Reconsidered 74

3. Chained Inferences in Retrospective Ethical Reasoning 80

4. Deep Disagreements and Ultimate Ethical Premises 86

5. Facts and Values in Ethical Reasoning 91

6. Abductive Inference 94

7. Endoxic Premises 101

8. How to Determine Endoxic Premises 108

9. Summary of the Structure of Ethical Reasoning 112

4 Persuasive Definitions 119

1. Stevenson's Theory of Persuasive Definitions 120

2. Public Policy Implications of Persuasive Definitions 125

3. Value-Laden Terms and Moral Persuasion 129

4. A Pragmatic Approach to Definitions 134

5. Use of Loaded Terms 139

6. The Deceptive Aspect of Persuasive Definitions 143

7. Is There a Fallacy of Loaded Terms? 145

8. How to Evaluate a Persuasive Definition 149

9. Uses in Other Contexts 152

5 Dialectic, Persuasion, and Rhetoric 155

2. The New Dialectic 159

3. The General Idea of Persuasion Dialogue 164

4. Critical Discussion and Rational Persuasion 169

5. Fallacies and Faults of Arguments 175

6. The Maieutic Function and Learning What Your Goals Are 178

7. The Opposition between Rhetoric and Dialectic 183

8. Persuasion, Action, and Ethical Justification 187

9. A New Program for Studying Ethical Argumentation 192

6 The Probative Function 199

1. The Probative Function and Circular Arguments 200

2. Account of the Probative Function in Sextus Empiricus 203

3. The Problem of Circular Reasoning as Treated in Ancient Sources 207

4. Infinite Regress Arguments 209

5. Types of Arguments 213

6. Linked and Convergent Arguments 217

7. Chaining of Arguments 219

8. Doubt Reduction and Chaining 223

9. The Importance of the Probative Function 226

10. Summary: How the Probative Function Works 230

7 The New System of Layered Justification 235

1. Subjective and Objective 236

2. Attitudes, Emotions, and Rationality 246

3. Evidence, Emotion, and Ethical Justification 249

4. Emotivism, Relativism, and Postmodernism 253

5. The Dialectical Shift to a Verbal Dispute 257

6. Multiple Definitions of Ethical Terms 261

7. An Argumentation System for Ethical Definitions 264

8. The Difference between Layered Ethical Justification and Propaganda 270

9. Summary of the Argumentation System 276

10. The Pragmatic Nature of Ethical Argumentation 281.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 289-302) and index.

ISBN:

0739103490

OCLC:

48500945