Informal logic and the reconfiguration of logic

Publisher Summary This chapter describes how informal logic emerged as an attempt to reconfigure one part of logic in the wake of the sorts of critiques. Informal logic appeared first as an attempt to reform the introductory-level undergraduate logic course. That project quickly took the form of attempts to capture what might be called the logic of everyday argumentation, with as well some reference to the logic of the stylized discourse of the disciplines. In its most recent incarnation, informal logic has taken the form of developing wide-ranging theories of argument, with particular attention to the normative issues that any such theory must address. The chapter explains the origins of informal logic: how it first emerged and then developed. It discusses the nature of informal logic: its historical antecedents, misconceptions, the own conception, and other prominent perspectives. In addition, the chapter explains the presentation of a research agenda for future work informal logic.