Recurring arguments in the field of migration: slippery slope, perverse effect, appeal to fear, " Godwin's law ", analogies, dissociation versus amalgam.
Ad personam and ad hominem arguments, the fabrication of an imaginary adversary (" straw man "), the degradation of public debate ; categories or insults ? (cf. Bourdieu on " categoremes "). When insults take the place of arguments (" immigrationnistes ", " identitaristes ", " communautaristes "...). The " judgment of madness " (Angenot), the judgment of high treason (against the Republic, France, national identity).
A major reference: Marc Angenot, Dialogues de sourds. Traité de rhétorique antilogique, Paris, Mille et une nuits, 2008. The positive functions of polemics according to Ruth Amossy(Apologie de la polémique, Paris, PUF, 2014). See Ruth Amossy's regularly updated sum: L'Argumentation dans le discours, 4th edition, Armand Colin, 2021. Christian Plantin's sum: Dictionnaire de l'argumentation. An introduction to argumentation studies, Lyon, ENS Éditions, 2016.
A classic: Albert O. Hirschman, The Rhetoric of Reaction: Perversity, Futility, Jeopardy, Harvard UP, 1991 ; trad. fr. deux siècles de rhétorique réactionnaire, Paris, Fayard, 1991. Applying the three arguments to the migration issue.
Theslippery slope argument: its recurrent application to immigration. Numerous metaphorical translations, in line with the denunciation of a progressive invasion strategy. Its strength: an argument from fear, neither verifiable nor refutable. See the treatise by D. Walton, 1992.
Current states of the migratory "grand narrative". "Not a conspiracy", but "worse than a conspiracy". The argument of "reality" and "common sense" as practiced by "real people", opposed to "official" statistics. Critical analysis of "common sense". The "insanity judgment" (Angenot), which consists in calling one's opponents crazy, insane, delusional, absurd and so on. Numerous examples of its application in political controversy. The judgment of high treason against the fatherland, the theme of "self-hatred". Detailed analysis of contempt for the flag.
A major text: Chaïm Perelman and Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca, Traité de l'argumentation. La nouvelle rhétorique, 6th brussels, Université de Bruxelles, 2008 (1st ed.: Paris, PUF, 1958). A major opposition: arguments of dissociation ("it's got nothing to do with it") and arguments of compression (amalgam). Application to the link between Islam and jihadist radicalization. Second-degree rhetoric: denouncing the amalgam argument. The reductio ad Hitlerum, or how to identify the adversary with absolute Evil. An Internet variation: the "Godwin point". Several recent examples. The reductio ad Stalinem used by essayists (opponents are like Lyssenko, bringing Moscow to trial, acting as political commissars, etc.). Éric Zemmour against "the Lyssenkos of Ined". Alain Finkielkraut on the undemocratic nature of "demographic change".
A major challenge for automatic discourse analysis: software can analyze the lexicon, but not the nature of the arguments ("slippery slope", for example). See textual analyses by Cécile Alduy and Damon Mayaffre.
Counter-argumentation technique: make your opponent look dumber than he is, invoke self-defence to justify the violence of the attack.
