Reconstructive Deductivism and Its Misapplication

Studies in Logic, Vol. 13, No. 6 (2020): 111–130            PII: 1674­3202(2020)­06­0111­20

Ting Xie

Abstract. This paper differentiates two types of reconstructive deductivism: qualified reconstructive deductivism (QRD) and non­qualified reconstructive deductivism (NQRD) in terms of distinctions in their working methods. With a critical survey on the objections against and justifications for them, I shall argue that some objections against reconstructive deductivism are untenable and some justifications are problematic in themselves. I also argue that neither QRD nor NQRD is an adequate theory for natural language arguments, though they do trigger a number of theoretical issues.