The document discusses the origins and development of argumentation. Ancient Greece was the first to experiment with democracy, allowing citizens to sue each other without cause. People who became skilled at arguing were called sophists and would teach others techniques to make persuasive arguments. Aristotle described rhetoric as a process to discover means of artistic persuasion. He identified three elements of proof in argument - logos, pathos, and ethos. Logos refers to the use of reason and logic. Pathos involves emotional and motivational appeals. Ethos is the credibility and character of the source. Source credibility can be initially established by credentials or derived from the quality of the arguments presented.

1. The Argumentative Environment