M. Meyer Puts the "Argumentation" Back in the Spotlight: The Way to Develop Engaging Communication "for the Planet"

Resumo

This article offers a reflection on the value of an argumentative rhetoric that simultaneously employs the resources of pathos, logos, and ethos to develop mobilizing communication. It will not examine argumentation in its sophistic dimension, nor as a mere set of discursive techniques aimed at coercing the audience's adherence. Instead, we aim to approach it from a primarily communicative perspective, drawing on the reflections of the Belgian philosopher M. Meyer, who dedicates a significant part of his work to the study of argumentative rhetoric.This reflection has the merit of shifting argumentation from the field of pure formal logic and discursive structures to a broader perspective that considers the social and practical implications of argumentative techniques. Under the guidance of this new approach initiated by Michel Meyer, namely problematology[1], argumentation transcends the narrow conception that reduces it to a tool of persuasion, becoming instead a means of reflection that contributes to the development of a new vision of the unity of thought. This unity, which according to Meyer is now to be sought in the articulation of question and answer, highlights the use of argumentation as a principle that structures reflection and sustains the dynamic of questioning and debate. We will therefore explore how M. Meyer’s theory of argumentation, acknowledging the context of problematicity in which it operates, proposes an approach based on the active interaction between the three fundamental dimensions mentioned above to build effective and, moreover, engaging communication.