STRUCTURE OF ARGUMENTATION

The term argument structure is used in three different ways:

— The theoretical structure of an argument corresponds to its internal organization, i.e. to say to the specific form of the relationship “argument(s) – conclusion”  in a given text or interaction, see layout; convergent, linked, serial.

— The empirical structure of an argumentative question is materialized in an argument map showing the second- or third-level subquestions derived from the main question, as expressed by the root question, see script.

— The structure of an argumentative text corresponds to what classical rhetoric calls its disposition, the step-by-step organization of co-oriented and counter-oriented information and argumentation, see rhetoric.
Ordinary interactions involve repetitions with variations of what was previously discussed. Argumentative texts and interactions routinely contain non-argumentative subsequences.