Multi-Agent Argumentation for eDemocracy

In this paper we discuss how a computational version of argumentation involving practical reasoning can be applied to the domain of e-democracy. We begin with a discussion of practical reasoning in general and we draw attention to differences between practical reasoning and reasoning about beliefs. We suggest that practical arguments should be treated as a species of presumptive reasoning, best handled using argument schemes and associated critical questions, in order to justify a proposal for action. We extend the argument scheme for practical reasoning and its critical questions proposed by Walton. We further explain how this proposal can be made computational for use by BDI agents and we illustrate the approach with an example application of a recent political debate involving the government’s justification of a proposed action. We also examine how this application compares with a previously implemented system which makes use of the same underlying theory.