Philosophical Argumentation and the Pragmatic Context in Taha Abd El-Rahman

Abstract

Philosophical argumentation, throughout the stages of its emergence whether in Greek or Islamic philosophy, formed an intellectual system that expresses the extent of interaction occurring at the level of ideas and mentalities, and what characterized the intellectual, systemic, and doctrinal environment. It did not remain a term confined to circumstantial rhetorical uses; rather, it became a dimension inherent in every discourse absolutely. This means that argumentation is a science among the sciences, with its pillars, methods, and distinctive aspects that define it and determine its essence, and through them this science acquires its importance. The thinker Taha Abd al-Rahman, in his book Language and the Balance or Mental Abundance, attempted to highlight the great importance of this term, devoting to it a full chapter entitled “Discourse and Argumentation.” Taha Abd al-Rahman also focused on the linguistic concept of argumentation, which he sees as having two aspects: the first is intention, and the second is predominance through argument. He also gives argumentation two main forms: it is pragmatic, because its intellectual character is situational and social, and it is also dialectical, because its persuasive aim is based on adherence to inferential forms.