 In this context, it can best be said that informal logic, like applied ethics, has become a standard offering that helps sustain philosophy departments in North America by contributing to what Rescher describes as “The rapid growth of ‘applied philosophy’ ...[that] is a striking structural feature of contemporary North American philosophy.” (p. 9). The goal of applied philosophy is philosophically informed and nuanced reasoning that addresses complex real life situations. Informal logic is one field which has made a valuable contribution to this goal.