An investigation of argumentation technique in Imam Ali's aphorisms

Language as a fundamental element in human life includes communicative and cognitive goals, and is considered not only as means of communication but also as an instrument for changing and affecting others' behavior. The functional aspect of language, which enjoys particular position in modern linguistic science, examines speaker and listener's speech in a way to arouse communicative motivation between them. Argumentation as a linguistic-communicative process is conducted based on a specific purpose to change addressees' attitudes and beliefs and to satisfy them. In fact, satisfaction is considered as the final point of every argumentative discourse. In the present study, the authors have attempted to investigate the application of argumentation technique in Imam Ali's aphorisms. The study reveals that Imam Ali(peace be upon him) by regarding language evolution's rules, has applied different types of linguistic-rhetoric strategies in a way to satisfy the addressees and to express the ethical, divine, notional, social and educative concepts artistically in the framework of best words. He uses sensory reasoning to fix religious thoughts in people's mind. In Imam Ali's words, the linguistic and rhetoric intertextualities is noticed, representing his linguistic and pragmatic competence.