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Stephen Edelston Toulmin
Born March 25, 1922- Died December 4, 2009.
English philosopher and educator. -
Graduate and Soldier. (1942-1948)
Toulmin graduated from Kings College where he received a BA in mathematics and physics. After graduation, he became a scientific officer for the Ministry of Aircraft Production. "First at the Malvern Radar Research and Development Station and later at the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Germany" (Johnson, 2009). He then went to Cambridge University when he earned a PhD in ethics. -
The Philosopher. (1945-1953)
Toulmin became a professor at Oxford University, where he began to teach philosophy. "Toulmin’s interest in the history of ideas, particularly scientific ideas, led to several influential books, most notably “The Philosophy of Science: An Introduction” (Grimes, 2009). -
Toulmin Model.
"His work influenced debates in meta-philosophy, the philosophy of science, communication, humanism, modernity, and ethics" (Johnson, 2009). This led him to create a structure for analyzing arguments called the Toulmin Model. -
The Uses of Argument.
Out of all the articles Toulmin has written, the most influential was The Uses of Argument. This is where he discusses the most important uses for any argument which breaks down the Toulmin Model. This article also specifies the need for a claim, data/ evidence, a warrant, or link between the claim and the data; the backing, or additional evidence; the qualifier, or strength of the claim; and the rebuttal, or exceptions to the claim. (Grimes, 2009) -
The Man Behind Ethical Philosophy.
Although Toulmin has passed, he has left us with the tools for analyzing many ethical arguments. His work has been and is still currently used in different areas of science, law, and philosophical debates. "Toulmin argued that moral rules and moral principles are to be justified by discovering which of the rules or principles, if consistently acted upon, will most likely lead to the least amount of avoidable suffering all around" (Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2010).
