Centre for Research in Reasoning, Argumentation & Rhetoric along with the PhD in Argumentation Studies at the University of Windsor invite you to a talk by
Khamaiel Al Tamimi, York University
A Narrative Account Of Argumentation
Abstract: Narrative arguments are a controversial and a largely unexplored area that in recent years has received more attention from argumentation scholars such as Paula Olmos, Gilbert Plumer, Christopher Tindale, Douglas Walton and Lester H. Hunt. However, existing literature on narrative arguments focuses primarily on novels and on the similarities between narrative reasoning and analogical arguments. In contrast, the account of narrative arguments that I developed in my dissertation focuses on interpersonal and oral storytelling that is rooted in the rhetorical and process-oriented approach to argumentation. By synthesizing literature on narrative and argumentation, I establish a definition of narrative argument aligned with Charles Willard’s constructivist/interactionist approach to argumentation (1989). I identify features of narrative argument that enable narrative to function as an argument and thus to provide reasons for a claim in the context of disagreement. Further, I argue that narrative argumentation must be understood as a process rather than a mere product of argument. This emphasizes the entirety of the arguing process and underscores the significance of context and the individuals engaged in argumentation. Moreover, narrative argumentation broadens our understanding of the concept of arguing by challenging the dominant models of arguments as discursive, linear and explicit. By expanding the concept of argument, we can create a more inclusive and less hostile environment for those marginalized by traditional models. Narrative argumentation is consistent with feminist critiques of argumentation that deconstruct exclusionary and detached conceptions of argumentation.
Friday, October 6, 2023
3:00 pm
Chrysler Hall North, 1163