Abstract

In this paper, I investigate under what circumstances the use of the argumentative technique of dissociation can be judged dialectically sound. The perspective from which this question is approached is that of pragma-dialectics. Because, in pragma-dialectics, the rules for critical discussion concern the performance of speech acts in the various stages of a critical discussion, I consider, first, after a short introduction on dissociation, what speech acts are involved in this argumentative technique, and how these speech acts are performed. Then, I delineate the conditions under which the performance of these speech acts can be considered dialectically sound, in the light of the rules for critical discussion. I distinguish procedural and material requirements for dialectical soundness of dissociation. For each of these, I stipulate the criteria for determining whether the requirements have been met. These criteria are derived from the earlier discussion of the ways in which the speech acts involved in dissociation can be performed and from the general and specific purposes of these speech acts in their use in dissociation.