92 Matching Annotations
  1. Feb 2019
    1. I have made no distinction in what has been said between Speaking and Writing, because tho they are talenL'i which do not always meet, yet >"'1•""�� there is no material difference between 'cm.

      I think Ong would take issue with the notion that there is no "material difference" between speaking and writing. Writing is a "technology" so to speak, and thus presents itself differently than mere thought through speaking. One can go back and edit writing, whereas orality is not so easily done.

    2. You know very well 'tii-inlinitcly better lo be good than to .�eem so.�

      I'm immediately drawn the notion of a "craft" vs. "knack" in the "Gorgias." Whereas a craft is genuinely good and involves the pursuit of real knowledge, a knack merely imitates a craft as a surface-level endeavor.

    3. If one's content is logical, it will be easy to remember.

      In this sense, can "logic" be at all subjective? By subjective I mean can the definition of logical different between individuals when organizing information? For example, I think it would be logical to organize my information chronologically, while someone else may think it is most logical to utilize a topical organizational pattern.

    4. rhetorical ability is mainly a natural endowment and that one should strive for clarity lo accommodate one's audience

      When preparing to speak publicly, the speaker's first consideration should always be the audience -- all other factors, including topic, should be a product influenced by the unanticipated audience.

    1. he other hand, are not confined to their province, but often supply the place of words, as marks of ideas. Ami tho' the ease and distinctness with which our ideas are marked by articulate sounds, has ma

      Words and tones must work simultaneously. The use of words enhance tones, and using tones enhances words.

    2. The organs of hearing in each species, are tuned only to the sounds of their own;

      What about in the instance where an animal, such as a dog, makes sounds which humans interpret? For instance, I am thinking of a dog whining for more water if its dish is empty or growling at the sight of danger.

    3. public speaking as a form of conversation,

      Extemporaneous delivery would be beneficial in this sense, memorizing the crucial and main points rather than the speech word for word. This creates a conversational-style speech, rather than a rigid performance.

    1. correctness in pronunciation. as in diction and usage. is not an absolute. Language standards arc the property of the ruling class; thus the diction, usage. and pronuncia• lion of the power centers of capital cities tend to be the standards for a national Ian· guagc.

      This division of pronunciation and usage is particularly visible in terms of class. Mispronounced words are often frowned upon, but all this means is that the person learned this word by reading, rather than having the opportunity of hearing someone say it first.

    2. rhetoric came under attack

      I think it could be argued that rhetoric continues to be under attack today. The term "rhetoric" often carries a negative connotation, as can be seen recently through popularized terms such as "political rhetoric" or "media rhetoric." Many people throw around the term rhetoric without knowing what they are saying or referring to.

    1. But the greatest drawback of our educational methods is that we pay an excessive amount of altention to the natural sciences and not enough to ethics.

      How would society be different if we paid more attention to ethics as opposed to the natural sciences? What would an ethics-oriented society look like?

    1. speak to Illustrate my Own VVorks, and to Detract from the VVorks of Others, for upon my Conscience I Speak and VVrite as I Believe, and if I Commit an Error in this Belief, I ask your Pardon

      We write and speak in only the ways we know how -- as ourselves. The fear of error should not prevent the process of discovery from unfolding.

    1. A good palate is not tried '.j by strong flavours; but by a mixture of small in-0 gredients, where we are till sensible of each :J._ part, notwithstanding its minuteness and its con­\..., fusion with the rest. I

      Quality over quantity!

    1. He that has complex ideas, without particular names for them, would be in no better case than a bookseller, who had in his warehouse volumes that lay there unbound, and without titles, which he could therefore make known to others only by showing the loose sheets, and communicate them only by tale.

      Part of demonstrating knowledge has to do with the organization of thoughts. What good does it do if one's thoughts remain undeveloped and in disarray? The goal should be to not only generate knowledge, but to translate this knowledge in an organized and accessible form.

    2. Vico, Sheridan, and Campbell, as well as a number of philosophers, pursued Locke's suggestive but incomplete account of the relation-ship of language and knowledge, though never far enough to link rhetoric explicitly with the process of creating "true" knowledge. T

      We stand on the shoulders of academics who have come before us. Although Locke's work may have been "incomplete" or a starting point, his work initiated this pursuit and paved the way for future scholars.

    3. Locke believes that there b a real external world and that knowledge of it is pos!-iblc. hul only ii' we underst:md the processes by which we come lo ~uch knowledge.

      Knowledge is the goal, the end, but the process by which knowledge is discovered, the means, is also important to Locke.

  2. Jan 2019
    1. posthumanism poses intriguing questions to many longstanding,“self-evident” assumptions about rhetoric and communication

      This statement really encapsulates why I am so enjoying the topic of posthumanism from a communication perspective! Challenging "self-evident" assumptions, especially in communication, will allow the field to progress forward.

    2. omposition and hacking are alreadyclose allies

      A striking statement/juxtaposition in a way -- interesting to think of these two concepts as "allies." However, sometimes things that are most unlike each other work the best together.

    3. Each article therefore offers anddeploys a series of tools for encountering and producing posthumanrhetorics

      Herein lies the problem, most notably with the notion of "tools." Issues arise not because of the process by which one tries to complete the task, but rather, through the use of inappropriate tools for the job.The job at hand is to "produce postman rhetorics." This job can be likened to any other sort of carpentry job, say building a bookshelf. If one decides to use a screwdriver to nail into a board, the end product and process will not be as fulfilling. Will the job get done? Probably. Will it produce the same quality as using a hammer would? Probably not. The same can be said when producing posthuman rhetorics: we must find the correct tools to use in order to produce the best work.

    1. intellectually lazy

      Word choice! What does it mean to be "intellectually lazy"? I think a great example of this can be seen when we talked last class about note taking and how taking notes should be a continual process, one which you constantly refer to and add to your notes, as opposed to taking notes and not looking at them again until you need something.

    2. My argument is that today the critical posthumanities are emergingas post-disciplinary discursive fronts not only around the edges ofthe classical disciplines but also as o

      What if we view the posthumanities as it's own evolutionary process? Much like the "Dawn of Humanity" film explained with human evolution, the posthumanities could be seen as evolving as a braided stream alongside the classical disciplines.

    3. posthuman’ is normatively neutral and itdoes not automatically point to the end of the species

      Posthumanism must not be seen as an end, but rather as a beginning. "Post" implies that there was a before -- it is up to us to explain just how we arrived at posthumanism. Dr. Rivers gave the example in last week's class of a math teacher asking students to show their work--how did you arrive at that answer?

    1. Similarly, “momentum” is only meaningful as a materialarrangement involving movable parts.

      We are who/what we are in relation to others as a collective entity. I appreciate the"momentum" phrase -- suggests this constant driving force of moving forward.

    1. Classical rhetoric divides the process of preparing a persuasive speech in10 five stages: I. Invention, the search for persuasive ways to present infonnation and formulate arguments2. Arrangement, the organization of the parts of a speech to ensure that all themeans of persuasion are present and properly disposed3. Style, the use of correct, appropriate, and striking language throughout thespeech4. Memory, 1he use of mnemonics and practice of tht;! speech5.Delivery, the use of effective gestures and vocal modulation to present thespeech

      The Five Canons of Rhetoric!

    1. We must digest it: otherwise it will merely enter the memory and not the reasoning power

      How might one go about this process of digestion? I'm particularly intrigued by the word choice of "digest," which seems to suggest energy/knowledge conversion.

    2. they are not meant to be substituted for a recollection that may fail. They constitute, rather, a material and a framework for exercises to be carried out frequently: reading, rereading, meditating, conversing with oneself and with others.

      Looking at one's academic notes in this sense, what if students were taught from a young age to view their notes and note taking as a continuous process which required frequent study and conversation? Even in college, students often only refer to notes as a means of remembering a specific fact, statement or concept.

    3. No technique, no professional skill can be acquired without exercise; nor can the art of living, the technê tou biou, be learned without askesis that should be understood as a training of the self by oneself.

      Like any other skill, living "well," which differs depending on the person, requires lived experience. It involves navigating life through achievements and failures through which skills are acquired.

    1. The skillful hunters then would come staggering back with a load of meat, a lot of ivory, and a story.

      This makes me think of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED Talk: "The danger of a single story." Rather than solely focusing on the single story aspect, Adichie delves into the topic of storytelling and the subsequent power associated with it. In this sense, the discussion of power alludes to Foucault's extensive work on power.

      https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story/transcript?language=en

    1. n otherwords, even if rhetoric is the art of never finally answering the question, "Whatis rhetoric?" this art would necessarily include all attempts to finally answer thatquestion.

      Based on this statement, could it be inferred that Muckelbauer places importance on not only the answer to the question (end) but also the process by which that answer is sought (means)? If so, how might the process of discovery be as important as the discovery itself?

    1. Still, to focus only on this social evolutionary aspect misses less familiar forms of rhet-oricity.

      It is crucial to not approach topics with too narrow of a perspective. Considering other elements and points of view make for a more well-rounded individual and argument. When thinking of current political issues plaguing the United States, what might be an instance where broadening perspective would be beneficial?

    1. Philosophy and rhetoric, taken as the two great opposites of the Western cultural conversation, can be harmonized

      When thinking of music, it often occurs that the paring of two chords that do not traditionally create harmony (philosophy and rhetoric) may create beautiful sounds through dissonance.

    2. This central focus meant that the arcs were perpetually shifting position and overlapping one another. Such shifting is what Ramus hated the most: "For arts ought to consist of subjects that are constant, perpetual, and unchanging, and they should consider only those concepts which Plato says are archetypal and eternal" (99).

      Although uniformity within a discipline can be beneficial, "shifting" and "overlapping" combat stagnation. Without this constant movement, would disciplines be able to grow and develop?

    3. Much as we want to evade it, however, the "Q" question ls coming after · us these days. It presses on us in the university, for the university is like the law courts: it cannot dodge the "Q" question.

      Here, an identifiable exigence, an imperfection marked by urgency (Bitzer), surfaces, which provides warrant for further examination and potential action.

    4. why so many commentators have thought Cicero's De oratore, which does con-front the issue from time to time, so much more one-sided an argument than it is.

      Aristotle's definition of rhetoric likens the notion of public speaking to persuasion. When addressing an issue of concern, using all available means of persuasion at one's disposal aids in constructing a sound argument.