Analogical reasoning with quotations? A spotlight on Russian parliamentary discourse

Abstract

Quotations in political discourse often aim at buttressing the current speaker’s argument in an ongoing debate by citing an utterance that states, presupposes or implies an analogous thought. Given the controversial nature of analogical reasoning, this raises a number of questions. First, why does the speaker choose an argumentative strategy that is vulnerable in several respects, easily refutable by providing counter-analogies, questioning the analogy’s relevance, etc.? Second, are the intertextual references meant to enhance the ana Show more