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Chapter 13. Attacks on the cartoonist’s strategic manoeuvring

An argumentative analysis of criticism on political cartoons
  • H. José Plug
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Argumentation across Communities of Practice
This chapter is in the book Argumentation across Communities of Practice

Abstract

Political cartoons may be understood as instances of visual or multimodal argumentative discourse. When a political cartoon is a subject of controversy, the criticism of the cartoon may therefore be aimed at the argumentation. For the purpose of a systematic analysis of visual and multimodal argumentation that gives rise to controversy, I make use of insights of the extended pragma-dialectical argumentation theory by van Eemeren (2010). The analysis provides a starting point to determine what aspect of strategic manoeuvring is criticised and to specify the derailment of strategic manoeuvring the cartoonist is accused of. Accordingly, the analysis facilitates a refined evaluation of the accusation in which general soundness conditions are amended or supplemented by relevant institutional conditions. In this study I will concentrate on controversies on political cartoons that make use of visual metaphors to scrutinize politicians’ behaviour or actions.

Abstract

Political cartoons may be understood as instances of visual or multimodal argumentative discourse. When a political cartoon is a subject of controversy, the criticism of the cartoon may therefore be aimed at the argumentation. For the purpose of a systematic analysis of visual and multimodal argumentation that gives rise to controversy, I make use of insights of the extended pragma-dialectical argumentation theory by van Eemeren (2010). The analysis provides a starting point to determine what aspect of strategic manoeuvring is criticised and to specify the derailment of strategic manoeuvring the cartoonist is accused of. Accordingly, the analysis facilitates a refined evaluation of the accusation in which general soundness conditions are amended or supplemented by relevant institutional conditions. In this study I will concentrate on controversies on political cartoons that make use of visual metaphors to scrutinize politicians’ behaviour or actions.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Cross-disciplinary perspectives on context-specific argumentation practices 1
  4. Section I. Theoretical perspectives on argumentation – revisited
  5. Chapter 1. Uncontroversial arguments 21
  6. Chapter 2. Connection premises 39
  7. Chapter 3. Argumentative and non-argumentative rhetorical content 57
  8. Section II. Argumentation practices in political discourse environments
  9. Chapter 4. Questioning the questionable 73
  10. Chapter 5. Reason and passion in political rhetoric 99
  11. Chapter 6. Interpersonal style(s) in diplomatic argumentation online 127
  12. Section III. Argumentation practices in legal discourse environments
  13. Chapter 7. The interpreter-mediated police interview as argumentative discourse in context 151
  14. Chapter 8. Context and genre in judicial argumentation 177
  15. Section IV. Argumentation practices in debates on societal and family issues
  16. Chapter 9. Caught between profitability and responsibility 197
  17. Chapter 10. Multi-participant TV debate as an argumentative activity type 229
  18. Chapter 11. The transmission of what is taken for granted in children’s socialization 259
  19. Section V. Argumentation practices in multi-modal discourse environments
  20. Chapter 12. Visual arguments in activists’ campaigns 291
  21. Chapter 13. Attacks on the cartoonist’s strategic manoeuvring 317
  22. Subject index 341
  23. Name index 339
https://doi.org/10.1075/aic.10.14plu

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Cross-disciplinary perspectives on context-specific argumentation practices 1
  4. Section I. Theoretical perspectives on argumentation – revisited
  5. Chapter 1. Uncontroversial arguments 21
  6. Chapter 2. Connection premises 39
  7. Chapter 3. Argumentative and non-argumentative rhetorical content 57
  8. Section II. Argumentation practices in political discourse environments
  9. Chapter 4. Questioning the questionable 73
  10. Chapter 5. Reason and passion in political rhetoric 99
  11. Chapter 6. Interpersonal style(s) in diplomatic argumentation online 127
  12. Section III. Argumentation practices in legal discourse environments
  13. Chapter 7. The interpreter-mediated police interview as argumentative discourse in context 151
  14. Chapter 8. Context and genre in judicial argumentation 177
  15. Section IV. Argumentation practices in debates on societal and family issues
  16. Chapter 9. Caught between profitability and responsibility 197
  17. Chapter 10. Multi-participant TV debate as an argumentative activity type 229
  18. Chapter 11. The transmission of what is taken for granted in children’s socialization 259
  19. Section V. Argumentation practices in multi-modal discourse environments
  20. Chapter 12. Visual arguments in activists’ campaigns 291
  21. Chapter 13. Attacks on the cartoonist’s strategic manoeuvring 317
  22. Subject index 341
  23. Name index 339
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