<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>We often say things like “Even though X, Y” or “In spite of Y, X”. What do we mean when we say things like this? What does it imply about the reasons involved? I will argue that there are at least some cases, namely when they are used in the conclusions of conductive arguments, where it should be seen as modifying our expression of X and indicating a certain kind of affect towards X, and this is characteristic of (the most interesting class of) conductive arguments. Showing that there are such uses thus shows that there are conductive arguments, or at least arguments with this characteristic feature, and, conversely, it will be shown that it is by taking the reasoning to be conductive that we can best make sense of these uses. I do not intend a comprehensive survey of all possible uses of “even though” or of all accounts of conductive arguments that have been given.</p></abstract>

We often say things like “Even though X, Y” or “In spite of Y, X”. What do we mean when we say things like this? What does it imply about the reasons involved? I will argue that there are at least some cases, namely when they are used in the conclusions of conductive arguments, where it should be seen as modifying our expression of X and indicating a certain kind of affect towards X, and this is characteristic of (the most interesting class of) conductive arguments. Showing that there are such uses thus shows that there are conductive arguments, or at least arguments with this characteristic feature, and, conversely, it will be shown that it is by taking the reasoning to be conductive that we can best make sense of these uses. I do not intend a comprehensive survey of all possible uses of “even though” or of all accounts of conductive arguments that have been given.

“Even Though”: On the Different Functions of Discounting Expressions in Pro and Con Arguments

Studies in Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

We often say things like “Even though X, Y” or “In spite of Y, X”. What do we mean when we say things like this? What does it imply about the reasons involved?...

“Even Though”: On the Different Functions of Discounting Expressions in Pro and Con Arguments

Published Online: Dec 06, 2018

Page range: 167 - 186

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/slgr-2018-0034

Keywords
conductive arguments, discounting expressions, moral reasoning, detachment, ambivalence, moral remainders

© 2018 David Botting, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

“Even Though”: On the Different Functions of Discounting Expressions in Pro and Con Arguments

Published Online: Dec 06, 2018

Page range: 167 - 186

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/slgr-2018-0034

Keywordsconductive arguments, discounting expressions, moral reasoning, detachment, ambivalence, moral remainders

© 2018 David Botting, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
conductive arguments, discounting expressions, moral reasoning, detachment, ambivalence, moral remainders