Rhetorical questions as enthymetatic arguments - An interactional approach

Abstract

Purpose: Presenting an exploratory study of rhetorical questions from an interactional perspective. Theory: Rhetorical questions are analyzed in the framework of dialogical reasoning using the notions of enthymemes and topoi. Method: A corpus study was carried out using an existing corpus of dialogues discussing a moral dilemma. Result: Rhetorical questions are used to introduce enthymematic arguments and to facilitate linking together parts of arguments over several utterances.