argumentatives

Argumentatives is a term that appears in some discussions to denote either the devices and practices used to form and present arguments in discourse, or the people who engage in argumentation. It is not a standard label in most fields, and its exact meaning may vary across disciplines.

Used as a description of discourse, argumentatives include the elements and strategies that compose argumentative texts: a claim, data or evidence, and reasoning that links the data to the claim (often called a warrant). They also involve acknowledging counterarguments, offering rebuttals, and using rhetorical devices such as analogies, examples, or appeals to authority. In many analyses, argumentatives are organized around a basic argumentative structure, for example the Toulmin model with claim, data, warrant, and potential counterarguments.

This term, when applied to people, would describe participants who emphasize argumentation as a mode of inquiry or persuasion. Such argumentatives are typically judged by the clarity of their reasoning, the relevance and sufficiency of their evidence, and their responsiveness to objections. Critics warn that argumentative styles can become adversarial or dogmatic if not balanced with openness to revision.

Relation to related fields: Argumentation theory, informal logic, rhetoric, and discourse analysis study how arguments are constructed, evaluated, and socially deployed. Methods include comparative text analysis, logical evaluation, and examination of argumentative moves within dialogues or texts.

Etymology: the root is Latin argu- mentum; however, “argumentatives” as a plural noun is not widely standardized and is used primarily in informal or exploratory discussions.