Dissemination and Development of Informal Logic in China

Abstract

Informal logic emerged as a new branch when modern logic reached its heyday, focusing on practical argumentation to overcome the limitations inherent in rigorous formal deductive logic for analyzing and evaluating natural language arguments. Its fundamental purpose is to redirect logical inquiry towards practical concerns, distinguishing sound and fallacious arguments. Since the 1960s, informal logic has evolved into a mature theory in the West and has been widely applied across various fields. Informal logic was introduced to China in the late 1980s, and the understanding of its theoretical system and nature in Chinese academia has undergone a spiraling upward development process. Motivated by the practical needs for analyzing and evaluating real arguments through informal reasoning, the Chinese scholars, on the foundation of extensive introduction and investigation of informal logic, have also proposed some new understandings and perspectives on its core issues by integrating contemporary cultural context. It has significantly contributed to the pluralistic development of informal logic in the contemporary era.

Keywords

informal logic / formal logic / argumentation theory / fallacy theory

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Higher Education Press