Stephen Toulmin

Stephen Edelston Toulmin (25 March 1922 – 4 December 2009) was a British philosopher, author, and educator. Influenced by Ludwig Wittgenstein, Toulmin devoted his works to the analysis of moral reasoning. Throughout his writings, he sought to develop practical arguments which can be used effectively in evaluating the ethics behind moral issues. His works were later found useful in the field of rhetoric for analyzing rhetorical arguments. The Toulmin model of argumentation, a diagram containing six interrelated components used for analyzing arguments, and published in his 1958 book The Uses of Argument, was considered his most influential work, particularly in the field of rhetoric and communication, and in computer science. Toulmin was born in London, UK, on 25 March 1922. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from King's College, Cambridge, in 1943. He later earned a Master of Arts degree and a PhD in philosophy from Cambridge University. He served as University Lecturer in Philosophy of Science at Oxford University and later held professorships at various universities in Australia, England, and the United States. His notable works include 'An Examination of the Place of Reason in Ethics' (1950), 'The Uses of Argument' (1958), 'Human Understanding: The Collective Use and Evolution of Concepts' (1972), and 'Cosmopolis: The Hidden Agenda of Modernity' (1990). He died in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 87.