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Article published In:
Argumentation and Meaning: Semantic and pragmatic reflexions
Edited by Steve Oswald, Sara Greco, Johanna Miecznikowski, Chiara Pollaroli and Andrea Rocci
[Journal of Argumentation in Context 9:1] 2020
► pp. 95–123

Implicit argumentation and persuasion

A measuring model

| University of Roma Tre
| OLSI (Linguistic Observatory of Italian-speaking Switzerland) | Università della Svizzera Italiana
| University of Salerno
| University of Roma Tre
| University of Roma Tre
| University of Roma Tre

The paper provides evidence that linguistic strategies based on the implicit encoding of information are effective means of deceptive argumentation and manipulation, as they can ease the acceptance of doubtful arguments by distracting addressees’ attention and by encouraging shallow processing of doubtful contents. The persuasive and manipulative functions of these rhetorical strategies are observed in commercial and political propaganda. Linguistic implicit strategies are divided into two main categories: the implicit encoding of content, mainly represented by implicatures and vague expressions, and the implicit encoding of responsibility, mainly represented by presuppositions and topics. The paper also suggests that the amount of persuasive implicitness contained in texts can be measured. For this purpose, a measuring model is proposed and applied to some Italian political speeches. The possible social usefulness of this approach is showed by sketching the operation of a website in which the measuring model is used to monitor contemporary political speeches.

Keywords: implicit communication, manipulative discourse, political speech, implicatures, presuppositions
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Implicit argumentation as a rhetorical device for persuasion: An evolutionary account
  • 3.Implicit encoding of content
    • 3.1Implicatures as content introduced by the addressee
    • 3.2Vagueness allows free interpretation
  • 4.Implicit encoding of responsibility
    • 4.1Presuppositions present their content as already agreed upon by addressees
    • 4.2Topics present their content as presently active in the addressees’ attention
  • 5.Can the impact of persuasive implicit strategies in texts be measured?
  • 6.Text analysis: Confronting political speeches in pairs
    • 6.1Comparability of texts
    • 6.2General results: Extension and impact of implicit strategies
    • 6.3In further detail: Distinctive features of implicitness of content
    • 6.4Practical applications and social utility
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 4 May 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jaic.00009.lom
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