Voices in the Wilderness: Public Discourse and the Paradox of Puritan RhetoricUniversity of Alabama Press, 11 mars 1999 - 224 pages What has gone wrong with discourse and deliberation in the United States? It remains monologic, argues Patricia Roberts-Miller in Voices in the Wilderness, which traces America’s dominant form of argumentation back to its roots in the rhetorical tradition of 17th-century American Puritans. A work of composition theory, rhetorical theory, and cultural criticism, this volume ultimately provides not only new approaches to argumentation and the teaching of rhetoric, composition, and communication but also an original perspective on the current debate over public discourse Both Jürgen Habermas and Wayne Booth—two of the most influential theorists in the domain of public discourse and good citizenry—argue for an inclusive public deliberation that involves people who are willing to listen to one another, to identify points of agreement and disagreement, and to make good faith attempts to validate any disputed claims. The Puritan voice crying in the wilderness, Roberts-Miller shows, does none of these things. To this individual of conscience engaged in a ceaseless battle of right and wrong against greedy philistines, all inclusion, mediation, and reciprocity are seen as evil, corrupting, and unnecessary. Hence, the voice in the wilderness does not in any real sense participate in public deliberation, only in public pronouncement. Arguing that our culture’s continuing affection for the ethos of the voice crying in the wilderness is one of our more troubling inheritances from the early American ambivalence to public discourse—including the Puritan denigration of rhetoric—Roberts-Miller contends that the monologic discourse of the Puritans in fact contains within it arguments for dialogism. Thus, the history of rhetoric can provide much richer fields for reimagining discourse than heretofore credited. Roberts-Miller concludes by extending her findings into their practical applications for argumentation in the public sphere and in the composition classroom. |
Table des matières
The Ontic Logos Predestination | 10 |
The Place of the Opposition | 44 |
Sugaring of Rhetoric | 83 |
Droits d'auteur | |
2 autres sections non affichées
Autres éditions - Tout afficher
Expressions et termes fréquents
action actually American answer argued argument assume assumption audience authorities called Calvin cause Christ Christian church clear conscience consider continually controversy correct Cotton course criticism culture demonstration describes dialogic disagree discipline discourse discussed dissent doctrine effect emphasis engage England especially example explain figures force God's grace heart Hooker human Hutchinson ideas important individual insists instance interesting interpretation invention issue John kind knowledge language listeners logic Mather meaning metaphor method mind minister monologic motives move nature never notion object one's opposition original person persuasion position possible practice present problem public discourse public sphere Puritan Quakers question reading reason reference regard religious result rhetoric role says Scripture seems sense sermon sides simply sinners speak speaker speech Spirit style suggest teach theory things thinking tion true truth understanding various wilderness writing