An argumentation scheme is a recurring pattern of defeasible reasoning — not deductively valid, but presumptively acceptable until challenged. Walton’s key move: every scheme comes with a set of critical questions. Ask them, and the presumption collapses back onto the arguer. That makes the scheme catalogue a rebuttal generator, not just a taxonomy.
The common schemes and their critical questions
| Scheme | Form | Critical questions |
|---|---|---|
| Authority | E is an expert, E says A, so A | Is E an expert in this field? Is E biased? Do other experts agree? |
| Sign | B is present, B indicates A, so A | How reliable is the sign? Could B have another cause? |
| Cause to effect | A generally causes B, A occurred, so B | Is the causal link strong? Any intervening factors? |
| Analogy | C1 is similar to C2, A holds in C1, so A in C2 | Are they similar in the relevant respect? Any disanalogy that matters? |
| Example | Cases show A, so generally A | Are the cases representative? How many? Counterexamples? |
| Popular opinion | Most accept A, so A | Is the majority informed here? Is there evidence beyond agreement? |
| Consequences | A leads to good/bad outcomes, so do/don’t A | How likely is the consequence? Are there offsetting consequences? |
| Slippery slope | A leads to B … leads to disaster | Is each link plausible? Where does the chain actually break? |
In practice
Identify the scheme first, then run its critical questions — that’s the fastest route from “something’s wrong with this” to a stated objection. See Attacking An Argument > Anatomy of Refutation and The Practice of Argumentation - Effective Reasoning > Chapter 5: Argument Schemes (Page 115).
📄 Sources
Open: Argumentation Schemes - flap2017.pdf (file not included in this release)
Argumentation Schemes - History, Classifications, and Computational Applications - Macagno.pdf (file not included in this release)
Argumentation scheme - Wikipedia
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