Leo Groarke is known for his contributions to applied ethics, the history of ideas, logic, informal logic, and argumentation theory. He has authored and edited many books, articles, and anthologies, and has held numerous administrative positions at various Canadian universities. From 2014-2024 he served as the President of Trent University. He is the author of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on “Informal Logic,” has served as the co-editor for three special issues of Advocacy and Argumentation on visual argument, co-authored six editions of the textbook Good Reasoning Matters!, and co-edits Windsor Studies in Argumentation. One of his areas of special interest is non-verbal modes of arguing that produce visual, auditory, and musical arguments.
Sample Publications
Books and Edited Journals
Groarke, Leo. 希腊怀疑论：古代思想中的反实在论倾向／吴三喜译. Chinese translation of Greek Scepticism, by 吴三喜，Wu San Xi, ISBN 978-7-5130-8439-0. Intellectual Property Publishing House: Beijing, 2023.
Groarke, Leo, Christopher Tindale, Linda Carozza. Good Reasoning Matters! Revised 6th ed. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2021.
David Godden, Catherine H. Palczewski, Leo Groarke. Special Issue: Twenty Years of Visual Argument. Argumentation and Advocacy, Volume 52, No. 4, Spring 2016
Groarke, Leo. Reinventing Brantford: A University Goes Downtown. Toronto: Natural Heritage Books, The Dundurn Group, 2010.
Sobocan, Jan, and Leo Groarke, eds. Critical Thinking, Education and Assessment: How Can We Test Higher-order Thinking? London (ON): The Althouse Press, 2009.
Birdsell, David, and Leo Groarke, guest eds. Argumentation and Advocacy: The Journal of the American Forensic Association, Special Double Issue on Visual Argument 43, nos. 3 & 4 (2007).
Groarke, Leo, ed. The Ethics of the New Economy: Restructuring and Beyond. Waterloo (ON): Wilfrid Laurier University Press (1998).
Birdsell, David, and Leo Groarke, guest eds. Special Double Issue on Visual Argument. Argumentation and Advocacy: The Journal of the American Forensic Association 33, nos. 1 & 2, (1996).
Groarke, Leo, guest ed. Special Issue On Scepticism. Eidos 8, no. 2 (1991).
Groarke, Leo. Greek Scepticism: Anti-realist Trends in Ancient Thought. Kingston & Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1990.
Fox, Michael Allen, and Leo Groarke, eds. Nuclear War: Philosophical Perspectives... New York: Peter Lang, 1985. Reprinted 1987.
Chapters, Articles, and Critical Notes
Groarke, Leo. 2025. “Logic and Multimodality,” in Stöckl, Hartmut, Tseronis, Assimakis, and Wildfeuer, Janina (eds.) (2025): Arguing with Multiple Semiotic Modes. Theoretical Issues and Empirical Advances in Multimodal Argumentation Studies. (= Pathways to Multimodality 3). Berlin/Boston: de Gruyter.
Groarke, Leo. 2024 Commentary on “Reconstructing Visual Arguments Through Argument Schemes: Images as Defeasible Visual Enthymemes” Ontario Society for the Study of Argumentation 13, OSSA Conference Archie, University of Windsor.
Groarke, Leo. 2024 “The Periodic Table of Arguments: Where Do Visual and Multimodal Arguments Fit In?” Ontario Society for the Study of Argumentation 13, OSSA Conference Archie, University of Windsor.
Groarke, Leo and Gabrijela Kišiček. 2024. “Auditory arguments, advertising, and argumentation theory Hitting sour notes or ringing true?” Journal of Argumentation in Context, Volume 13, Issue 2, p. 177 – 202. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/jaic.00027.gro.
Groarke, Leo and Christopher Tindale. 2022 (appeared in 2023). “The Two Wrong Reasoning and the COVID Pandemic,” In Manzin, Maurizio; Serena Tomasi; and Paola Chiarella, eds. Covid-19. Reality and representation, pp. 33-46. Theory and Criticism of Social Regulation (Teoria E Critica Della Rgilazione Sociale).
Groarke, Leo. 2022. “Gilbert as Disrupter: Modes (of Many Sorts) in the Theory of Argument, Informal Logic, vol. 42, 3: pp. 507-520.
Groarke, Leo. 2022. “What’s Wrong with the California Critical Thinking Skills Test? Critical Thinking Testing and Accountability,” 45-68, in Jan Sobocan, ed. Critical Thinking Education and Assessment: Can Higher Order Thinking Be Tested? 2nd ed. Windsor: Windsor Studies in Argumentation, Vol. 12.
Groarke, Leo. 2021. “Logic, Informal.” Stanford World Wide Web Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2021. First published in1997, major revisions 2002, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2016, and 2021. [http://plato.stanford.edu.*]http://plato.stanford.edu.*
Groarke, Leo. 2020. “The End of Argument.” Ontario Society for the Study of Argumentation (OSSA 12) Evidence, Persuasion & Diversity: Proceedings of the 12th OSSA Conference. Windsor: OSSA Archive, https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/ossaarchive/OSSA12/Thursday/28/ .*
Groarke, Leo. 2019. “Depicting Visual Arguments: An “ART” Approach.” In Federico Puppo, ed. Informal Logic: A ‘Canadian’ Approach to Argument, pp. 332-374. Windsor: Windsor Studies in Argumentation (WSIA), Volume 9. https://windsor.scholarsportal.info/omp/index.php/wsia/catalog/view/123…