Argumentation Oct 2025 Open Access

Apples Ergo Oranges: The Argumentative Use of Comparisons

José Alhambra Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to distinguish some varieties of what I call ‘comparison argumentation.’ This way of arguing consists of supporting a claim about one thing on the basis of a comparison of that thing with another. The criteria that I use are the subject, the degree, and the purpose of the comparison. I do not intend to be exhaustive, but to address two specific questions: what sets arguments by analogy apart within this category and, from there, how they can be evaluated based on their distinctive features. An important aspect of my approach is the analysis of cases. I have selected a relatively large corpus of examples, mainly from the news media, and will analyse them based on argumentative connectors and other conventional indicators of comparisons.

Journal
Argumentation
Published
2025-10-15
DOI
10.1007/s10503-025-09673-0
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Topics
argument
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Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

Cites in this index (4)

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