Abstract Argumentation Scheme Frameworks

Argumentation Scheme Frameworks Katie Atkinson and Trevor Bench-Capon Department of Computer Science University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 3BX UK {K.M.Atkinson,tbc}@liverpool.ac.uk Abstract. This paper presents an approach to modelling and reasoning about arguments that exploits and combines two of the most popular mechanisms used within computational modelling of argumentation: argumentation schemes and abstract argumentation frameworks. Our proposal combines the desirable properties of each by representing the components of argumentation schemes as argumentation frameworks. This allows us to make use of the structure provided by the schemes to guide dialogues and provide contextual elements of evaluation, whilst retaining the desirable properties of abstract frameworks to enable evaluation with respect to the logical relations between arguments. Our proposal takes account of dialogical aspects within a debate, such as burden of proof, and we illustrate our approach through a particular argumentation scheme, namely argument from expert opinion. This paper presents an approach to modelling and reasoning about arguments that exploits and combines two of the most popular mechanisms used within computational modelling of argumentation: argumentation schemes and abstract argumentation frameworks. Our proposal combines the desirable properties of each by representing the components of argumentation schemes as argumentation frameworks. This allows us to make use of the structure provided by the schemes to guide dialogues and provide contextual elements of evaluation, whilst retaining the desirable properties of abstract frameworks to enable evaluation with respect to the logical relations between arguments. Our proposal takes account of dialogical aspects within a debate, such as burden of proof, and we illustrate our approach through a particular argumentation scheme, namely argument from expert opinion.