Pragmatics and Argumentation

This Special Issue aims to showcase current work at the interface of pragmatics (the linguistic discipline that studies meaning in context) and argumentation theory (the study of the way people argue). These two disciplines have much in common, from overlapping research objects to shared theoretical frameworks, and have accordingly been in constant dialogue for approximately half a century. The objective of this Special Issue is to explore this interface by taking stock of existing work and discussing new contact points between the disciplines.

The 17 papers comprising this Special Issue consider different lines of inquiry, from methodological questions (how can one discipline be of use in the investigation of research questions belonging to the other discipline?) to theoretical (how and to what extent do pragmatic phenomena related to meaning play out in argumentative exchanges? How is argumentation expressed?) and practical questions (under which conditions can we consider argumentation to be successful? What are the key argumentative skills displayed by competent arguers?). Overall, the selection of papers comprising this Special Issue represent key reading for anyone interested in the relationship between what people mean and how people argue.