Slides

On norms for the dynamics of
argumentative interaction:
argumentation as a game
Henry Prakken
Amsterdam
January 18, 2010
Overview
Lorenzen’s dialogue logic
Hamblin’s formal dialectic
AI’s argumentation logics
MAS dialogue systems for argumentation
Lorenzen’s dialogue logic:
game-theoretic semantics of
connectives
Paul: claims q
P1: q
P2: p (attacking p  q)
P3: you said it yourself! (against q?)
Olga: concedes p, p  q
O1: q?
O2: q (defending p  q)
P has a winning strategy for
claim  given concessions S
iff S entails 
Hamblin’s formal dialectic:
rules for substantial discussions
Paul:
P1: claim q
P2: q since p, p  q
P3: that’s why
Paul’s beliefs:
p
pq
Olga:
O1: why q?
O2: concede p  q but why p?
O3: (can I trust Paul?)
Olga’s beliefs:
r
pq
If Olga concedes p, she must concede q or retract p  q
We should lower taxes
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
Increased
productivity
is good
We should lower taxes
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
Increased
productivity
is good
We should not lower taxes
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
Increased
inequality
is bad
We should lower taxes
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
We should not lower taxes
Increased
productivity
is good
Lower taxes do
not increase
productivity
USA lowered
taxes but
productivity
decreased
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
Increased
inequality
is bad
We should lower taxes
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
Prof. P says
that …
We should not lower taxes
Increased
productivity
is good
Lower taxes do
not increase
productivity
USA lowered
taxes but
productivity
decreased
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
Increased
inequality
is bad
We should lower taxes
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
Prof. P says
that …
People with
political
ambitions
are not
objective
We should not lower taxes
Increased
productivity
is good
Prof. P is not
objective
Prof. P has
political
ambitions
Lower taxes do
not increase
productivity
USA lowered
taxes but
productivity
decreased
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
Increased
inequality
is bad
We should lower taxes
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
Prof. P says
that …
People with
political
ambitions
are not
objective
We should not lower taxes
Increased
productivity
is good
Prof. P is not
objective
Prof. P has
political
ambitions
Lower taxes do
not increase
productivity
USA lowered
taxes but
productivity
decreased
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
Increased
inequality
is bad
We should lower taxes
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
Prof. P says
that …
People with
political
ambitions
are not
objective
We should not lower taxes
Increased
productivity
is good
Prof. P is not
objective
Prof. P has
political
ambitions
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
Increased
inequality
is good
Lower taxes do
not increase
productivity
USA lowered
taxes but
productivity
decreased
Increased
inequality
is bad
Increased
inequality
stimulates
competition
Competition
is good
We should lower taxes
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
Prof. P says
that …
People with
political
ambitions
are not
objective
We should not lower taxes
Increased
productivity
is good
Prof. P is not
objective
Prof. P has
political
ambitions
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
Increased
inequality
is good
Lower taxes do
not increase
productivity
USA lowered
taxes but
productivity
decreased
Increased
inequality
is bad
Increased
inequality
stimulates
competition
Competition
is good
1. An argument is In if all arguments defeating it are Out.
2. An argument is Out if it is defeated by an argument that is In.
Grounded semantics minimises node colouring
Preferred semantics maximises node colouring
Dung 1995
A
C
B
D
E
A sound and complete game for
grounded semantics:

The rules:





Each move replies to previous move
Proponent does not repeat moves
Proponent moves strict defeaters, opponent
moves defeaters
A player wins iff the other player cannot move
Result: A is in the grounded extension iff
proponent has a winning strategy in a game
about A.
A defeat graph
A
F
B
C
D
E
A winning strategy for P
move
A
F
B
C
D
E
P: A
A winning strategy for P
move
A
P: A
F
O: F
B
C
D
E
A winning strategy for P
A
P: A
F
O: F
B
P: E
C
D
move
E
A winning strategy for P
A
P: A
F
move
O: F
B
P: E
C
D
E
O: B
A winning strategy for P
A
P: A
F
O: F
O: B
P: E
P: C
B
C
D
move
E
Interaction


Argument games verify status of
argument (or statement) given a single
theory (knowledge base)
But real argumentation dialogues have


Distributed information
Dynamics
claim
We should lower taxes
claim
why
We should lower taxes
claim
why
We should lower taxes
since
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
Increased
productivity
is good
claim
why
We should lower taxes
We should not lower taxes
since
since
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
Increased
productivity
is good
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
Increased
inequality
is bad
claim
why
We should lower taxes
We should not lower taxes
since
since
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
Increased
productivity
is good
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
Increased
inequality
is bad
Increased
inequality
is good
since
Increased
inequality
stimulates
competition
Competition
is good
claim
why
We should lower taxes
We should not lower taxes
since
since
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
Increased
productivity
is good
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
Increased
inequality
is bad
claim
Increased
inequality
is good
Lower taxes do
not increase
productivity
since
Increased
inequality
stimulates
competition
Competition
is good
claim
why
We should lower taxes
We should not lower taxes
since
since
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
Increased
productivity
is good
why
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
Increased
inequality
is bad
claim
Increased
inequality
is good
Lower taxes do
not increase
productivity
since
Increased
inequality
stimulates
competition
Competition
is good
claim
why
We should lower taxes
We should not lower taxes
since
since
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
Increased
productivity
is good
why
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
Increased
inequality
is bad
claim
Increased
inequality
is good
Lower taxes do
not increase
productivity
since
since
USA lowered
taxes but
productivity
decreased
Increased
inequality
stimulates
competition
Competition
is good
claim
why
We should lower taxes
We should not lower taxes
since
since
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
why
Increased
productivity
is good
why
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
Increased
inequality
is bad
claim
Increased
inequality
is good
Lower taxes do
not increase
productivity
since
since
USA lowered
taxes but
productivity
decreased
Increased
inequality
stimulates
competition
Competition
is good
claim
why
We should lower taxes
We should not lower taxes
since
since
why
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
since
Increased
productivity
is good
why
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
claim
Increased
inequality
is good
Lower taxes do
not increase
productivity
Prof. P says
that …
Increased
inequality
is bad
since
since
USA lowered
taxes but
productivity
decreased
Increased
inequality
stimulates
competition
Competition
is good
claim
why
We should lower taxes
We should not lower taxes
since
since
why
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
since
Prof. P says
that …
Increased
productivity
is good
why
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
claim
Increased
inequality
is good
Lower taxes do
not increase
productivity
Prof. P is not
objective
since
Increased
inequality
is bad
since
since
People with
political
ambitions
are not
objective
Prof. P has
political
ambitions
USA lowered
taxes but
productivity
decreased
Increased
inequality
stimulates
competition
Competition
is good
claim
why
We should lower taxes
We should not lower taxes
retract
since
why
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
since
Prof. P says
that …
Increased
productivity
is good
why
since
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
claim
Increased
inequality
is good
Lower taxes do
not increase
productivity
Prof. P is not
objective
since
Increased
inequality
is bad
since
since
People with
political
ambitions
are not
objective
Prof. P has
political
ambitions
USA lowered
taxes but
productivity
decreased
Increased
inequality
stimulates
competition
Competition
is good
Dialogue systems
(according to Carlson 1983)




Dialogue systems define the conditions under which
an utterance is appropriate
An utterance is appropriate if it furthers the goal of
the dialogue in which it is made
Appropriateness defined not at speech act level but
at dialogue level
Dialogue game approach
Dialogue game systems

A communication language


Rules for when an utterance is allowed



Well-formed utterances
Protocol
Turntaking rules
Termination rules
Standards for game rules


Logical argument games: soundness and
completeness wrt some logical semantics
Dialogical argument games: effectiveness wrt
dialogue goal and fairness wrt participants’
goals

Argumentation:


Dialogue goal = rational conflict resolution
Participants’ goal = to win
Some quality aspects of dialogue
protocols

Effectiveness: does the protocol further the
dialogue goal?


Fairness: does the protocol respect the
participants’ goals?


Agent rationality, Efficiency (relevance,
termination, ...)
Flexibility, opportunity, …
Trade-off between effectiveness and fairness!
Some properties that can be
studied

Correspondence with participants’ beliefs



If union of beliefs implies p, can/will agreement on
p result?
If participants agree on p, does union of beliefs
imply p?
Correspondence with participants’
commitments and arguments

If P wins, is his main claim justified by the
exchanged arguments ?

(except those with retracted or challenged premises)
claim
why
We should lower taxes
We should not lower taxes
since
since
Lower taxes
increase
productivity
Increased
productivity
is good
why
Lower taxes
increase
inequality
Increased
inequality
is bad
claim
Increased
inequality
is good
Lower taxes do
not increase
productivity
since
Increased
inequality
stimulates
competition
Competition
is good
Example 2
Knowledge bases
Paul: r
Olga: s
Inference rules
pq
rp
s  r
Paul  Olga does not justify q
but they could agree on q
P1: q since p
Example 2
Knowledge bases
Paul: r
Olga: s
Inference rules
pq
rp
s  r
P1: q since p
O1: why p?
Paul  Olga does not justify q
but they could agree on q
Example 2
Knowledge bases
Paul: r
Olga: s
Inference rules
pq
rp
s  r
P1: q since p
O1: why p?
Paul  Olga does not justify q
but they could agree on q
P2: p since r
Example 2
Knowledge bases
Paul: r
Olga: s
Inference rules
pq
rp
s  r
P1: q since p
O1: why p?
Paul  Olga does not justify q
but they could agree on q
P2: p since r
O2: r since s
Example 3
Knowledge bases
Paul:
p
q
Inference rules
Modus ponens
…
Olga:
p
q  p
Paul  Olga does not justify p
but they will agree on p
P1: claim p
Example 3
Knowledge bases
Paul:
p
q
Inference rules
Modus ponens
…
Olga:
p
q  p
Paul  Olga does not justify q
but they will agree on q
P1: claim p
O1: concede p
Conclusion

Argumentation has two sides:



Inference
Dialogue
Both sides can be formalised

But not in the same way