TITLE: Closing the Gap Between Logic and Dialectic
SPEAKER: Sanjay Modgil (King's College London)

ABSTRACT:

Abstract Argumentation provides a unifying formalism
for a number of non-monotonic logics : arguments and counter-arguments
constructed from a set of logical formulae (theory), are evaluated in 
light of
their interactions, and the claims of the winning arguments correspond to
the non-monotonic inferences from the instantiating theory. The value of
argumentation is thus partly its provision of a formal account of 
dialectical reasoning.
However constraints on the design of argumentation formalisms, intended
to ensure that these formalisms satisfy logic-based rationality postulates,
conflict with requirements for modelling dialectic as conducted in practice.
In this talk I propose a new dialectical ontology for arguments, and 
consequently
modify the standard approach to evaluation of arguments. This new
approach relaxes the above-mentioned constraints so as to more 
faithfully model
dialectical practice, while still ensuring that all logic-based 
rationally postulates
are satisfied. This is joint work with Marcello D'Agostino, at the 
University of Ferrara.

Note that the talk will make not require background knowledge of 
argumentation theory.