DERAILMENT OF STRATEGIC MANEUVERING IN A MULTI-PARTICIPANT TV DEBATE: THE FALLACY OF IGNORATIO ELENCHI

In pragma-dialectical terms, the fallacy of ignoratio elenchi results from derailment of an arguer’s strategic maneuvering by violating the relevance rule of a critical discussion (van Eemeren, Grootendorst, Henkemans, 2002). This study aims to introduce the institutional constraints of a multi-participant TV debate (MPTD) which provide evidence for regarding irrelevant argumentation fallacious (i.e., an unreasonable argumentative move) in this communicative activity type and illustrate how stategic maneuvering derails and leads to this fallacy. The paper draws its data from two episodes of Siyaset Meydanı. The analysis of extracts from the data revealed that both the moderator and the participants of the debate show sensitivity to arguing relevantly. Furthermore, it was observed that participants’ maneuvering with the topical potential can be an effective argumentative move but not always a reasonable one.