Whately on Arguments Involving Authority

Abstract

Richard Whately’s views of arguments involving authority are very different in his Elements of Rhetoric and his Elements of Logic. This essay begins by documenting these differences and wondering why they are. It then proceeds to take a broader and more historical view of Whately’s discussions of authority and finds him occupying an important developmental ground between his predecessor Locke and contemporary views of the argument from authority. In fact, some of the things we now think are important in a good argument from authority are anticipated by Whately.

Keywords

• ad hominem, ad verecundiam, argument from authority, administrative authority, dignity authority, epistemic authority, expertise, Jean Goodwin, Douglas Walton, Richard Whately