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In:Exploring Dialogue: Selected essays on argumentation by Erik C. W. Krabbe with contributions by Jan Albert van Laar
Edited by Erik C.W. Krabbe and Jan Albert van Laar
[Argumentation in Context 23] 2026
► pp. 93–121

Chapter 6
That’s no argument!

The dialectic of non-argumentation

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Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Some cases
    • Case 1: Gay marriage (1)
    • Case 2: Gay marriage (2)
    • Case 3: Mandatory helmets
  • 3.Emotion in argument
    • 3.1Emotion and reason
    • 3.2The concept of emotion
    • 3.3Emotion as a presentational device
    • 3.4Emotion as a device for obtaining concessions
    • 3.5A political declaration of love
      • Case 4: We love Europe!
  • 4.Non-argumentation in argumentative discourse
  • 5.The charge of non-argumentation
    • Case 5: Black Pete
  • 6.Reactions to the charge of non-argumentation
  • 7.Defending one’s charge of non-argumentation
  • 8.Advantages of non-argumentation
  • 9.Drawbacks of criticizing non-argumentation
  • 10.Conclusion: A dialectic of non-argumentation
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • References
References (30)
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