Rationality and Controversy: Reading Darwin Through Dascalian Eyes

Abstract

Marcelo Dascal has made a major contribution to the study of rationality and argumentation. In the present text, I explore the impact of his approach on the analysis of Charles Darwin’s ‘one long argument’, as Darwin calls his theory of the origin of species. Dascal’s typology and analyses of polemic interactions – in particular, his analyses of controversies and their role in scientific argumentation – provide a strong tool for the understanding of the structure and performance of Darwinian argumentation. The backbone of Darwin’s theory lies in comparison between opposing positions. Furthermore, Dascal’s approach allows one to see the philosophical possibilities and implications of Darwin’s naturalistic view of ‘rationality’, on the basis of Dascal’s distinctions and relations between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ rationality. On the one hand, Darwin’s explanatory efforts fit into the domain of the latter one, typical of polemic debates. On the other hand, the reading of Darwin can show how Dascal’s approach to rationality can be earthly embedded.