Author ORCID Identifier
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7173-7964 : Frank Zenker
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1834-7419 : Shiyang Yu
Location
Room 2
Document Type
Paper
Keywords
argument scheme, attractiveness, authority argument, dignity, majority
Start Date
5-6-2020 9:00 AM
End Date
5-6-2020 10:00 AM
Abstract
The argument from expert opinion counts as a sub-type of the argument from authority, because argument tokens ground their claims in a source of authority. The literature on argument schemes already acknowledges epistemic and deontic authority arguments as grounding in knowledge and power, respectively. Some scholars also treat dignity as a third source of authority. This paper offers a yet more fine-grained typology of authority arguments. Insights gleaned from Aristotle, Cicero, Boethius, and Locke suggest that attractiveness and majority (but not dignity) serve as additional sources of authority. Crossing these four sources with the speech act types assertive and directive yields eight authority-argument types, and as many sub-schemes.
Reader's Reactions
James B. Freeman, Commentary on Zenker and Yu (June 2020)
Included in
A new typology for arguments from authority
Room 2
The argument from expert opinion counts as a sub-type of the argument from authority, because argument tokens ground their claims in a source of authority. The literature on argument schemes already acknowledges epistemic and deontic authority arguments as grounding in knowledge and power, respectively. Some scholars also treat dignity as a third source of authority. This paper offers a yet more fine-grained typology of authority arguments. Insights gleaned from Aristotle, Cicero, Boethius, and Locke suggest that attractiveness and majority (but not dignity) serve as additional sources of authority. Crossing these four sources with the speech act types assertive and directive yields eight authority-argument types, and as many sub-schemes.
