Ixchel I. Patiño-González, Departamento de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jal., México
Introduction: Bioethical reflection, especially in bioethics committees, can benefit from studies on argumentation. Recent work in argumentation, particularly dialectics, fosters a new area of research, one that can be used to analyze decision-making and justifications in case studies. Objective: To identify case analysis procedures that incorporate argumentation and/or deliberation. To propose a deliberative-argumentative procedure for case analysis. This is done by adapting Walton’s deliberative procedure to account for the various argumentative components that can be analyzed and deliberated when cases are presented in bioethics committees. Method: Expository bibliographic research. In several research sources procedures that include argumentation and/or deliberation in their steps were collected, selected and analyzed. Results: Of the 49 cases analysis procedures reviewed, four were found to incorporate both argumentation and deliberation in their steps, but they don’t indicate what the argumentative or deliberative activity be like. Conclusions: The adaptation of Walton’s procedural proposal supports the recognition and analysis of argumentative activity and systematization of deliberative dialogue.
Keywords: Argumentation. Deliberation. Procedure. Bioethics committees.