Abstract

What does it mean for an argument to have force? The force in an argument, in natural speech but also in argumentation theory, is often presupposed. Except for a few reflective attempts, which are part of the review of the literature that this work contains, the analysis of this argumentative reality is still under construction, so there is ample space to debate about what argumentative force is, that is, the force of the argument and the overall force of argumentation. The main contribution of this work is that just as, or since, speech acts have a neutral or floating force, so do arguments. Thus, there would be an intrinsic force, in principle independent of the audience and the context. It is a structural force that certainly has a history and evolves, but whose ultimate function is to ensure a systematic state of difference of opinion.