Introduction to Reasoning

by Stephen Toulmin

This is a second edition paperback book, that discusess or teaches one about how to better think and argument, and also (of course) to getting a more influence skills. Some of the topics covered in this copy are rationality, reasoning, critical thinking,problem solving, and influencing another.

Genres: Philosophy, Logic, Science, Communication

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Tú · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first encounter with formal logic. I find the book very systematically and clearly written. This can be considered as updated version of Toulmin's "The Uses of Argument" (1958). The authors are in fact Toulmin, Rieke and Janik.

This can be great for any beginner in the field of logic or anyone straddling between logic and some other functional field.

[Tommy C · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fundamental book about reasoning and argumentation, both essential activities of human life, but sometimes overlooked. As the book says:

The hero of Moliere's play The Bourgeois Gentleman was surprised to learn from his grammar teacher that he had been "talking prose for forty years." People who begin studying logic or argumentation or rhetoric in adult life today must often feel something of the same surprise. Yet, in fact, the use of language for the purposes of reasoning or argumentation plays a major part in our lives, and it is natural and proper that we should set about trying to understand this particular use of language-and so become self-aware also about the arts of speaking and writing, communicating and expressing ourselves, presenting "claims" and supporting them with "arguments".

[Tylor Lovins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toulmin's contribution to argumentation is tremendous: especially in his discussion of forums--that every argument is located in a forum, for us to know what constitutes a logical fallacy we must first know the forum in which discussion takes place. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in understanding argumentation and the nature of discussion.

[John Sorensen]

Read for Speech 332. Toulmin developed the Toulmin model of argumentation. The book was a bit vague and not very well organized. Still, the section on Fallacies is a MUST reread.