Effectiveness Through Reasonableness in argumentative discourse

Argumentative discourse is instrumental in the resolution of differences of opinion on the merits that is a requirement for intellectual, social and cultural progress. Argumentation theorists can get a grip on the process of resolving a difference on the merits by projecting the conduct of an imagined critical discussion on the discourse. A critical discussion consists of four dialectical stages in which specific argumentative moves are made, which are conveyed in different kinds of communicative acts. Arguers always need to maneuver strategically to meet the Argumentative Predicament by strategically combining the simultaneous pursuit of rhetorical effectiveness with maintaining dialectical reasonableness. According to Pragma-Dialectics, the aim of argumentative discourse is not just achieving persuasiveness, but convincingness, i.e. effectiveness through reasonableness. Effectiveness legitimized by reasonableness can be achieved by observing a code of conduct for reasonable argumentative discourse which prevents the occurrence of fallacies. For this purpose, in all three aspects of the strategic maneuvering taking place in all argumentative moves that are made in argumentative discourse all ten rules of the code of conduct need to be complied with.