Richard A. Cherwitz

Rhetoric as “a way of knowing”: An attenuation of the epistemological claims of the “new rhetoric”

This essay explores the notion of rhetoric‐as‐epistemic—a theory which has recently gained increasing attention from rhetoricians. The author begins by explicating the nature of the claim that rhetoric is truth‐creative. This is followed by a delineation of the philosophic suppositions anchoring such a contention. Finally, the author sets forth several criteria for determining under what conditions rhetoric may be said to function in epistemologically meaningful ways.

Consummatory versus justificatory crisis rhetoric

The question posed in this study is: Are there differences in rhetorical strategy and tactic between discourse initially constituting the sole response of our government to states of emergency and discourse accompanying, justifying, and rationalizing specific military moves undertaken in response to crises? To provide a partial answer to this question, five presidential messages were analyzed and placed into two categories: consummatory rhetoric‐where presidential discourse initially constituted the only official reply made by the American government; and justificatory rhetoric‐where presidential discourse was part of a larger, military retaliation taken by the government. Differences and similarities between these two kinds of talk are detailed, and implications for crisis rhetoric are presented.

Beyond rhetorical relativism

Theorists advance differing perspectives on the role played by rhetoric in the acquisition of knowledge: some argue that reality is created by discourse; others contend that reality is distinct from and prior to discourse. This essay investigates the implications to rhetoric of these two alternatives. Underscoring the relativistic dangers of viewing “consensus” as an epistemic criterion, the authors take issue with the thesis that Truth is the product of consensus. It is concluded that rhetoric, if viewed as the process of striving for adherence, can be a tool of critical inquiry moving its practitioners towards the “apprehension” rather than the “creation” of reality.

Imperial mission and manifest destiny: A case study of political myth in rhetorical discourse

By differentiating between the concepts “myth” and “ideology,” this study accounts for the rise in popularity of imperialist policies in the United States and Great Britain at the end of the nineteenth century. Specifically, it is argued that the use of mythically grounded rhetorical appeals by proponents of empire explains the ultimate defeat of the anti‐imperialist movement in both Britain and the United States.

Toward a rhetorical epistemology

This essay offers a prolegomenon for a systematic theory of rhetorical epistemology. Rather than advancing a fully‐developed theory of the epistemic function of rhetorical discourse, the authors delineate some of the important assumptions, definitions, and relationships upon which their theory is constructed. It is posited that rhetorical discourse is the description of reality through language and that knowledge is justified true belief. Examining the inherent interface between rhetoric and knowledge, the authors conclude by underscoring the differentiative, associative, preservative, evaluative, and perspective functions of epistemic discourse.

Diversifying Graduate Education: The Promise of Intellectual Entrepreneurship

Affirmative action is a necessary but not sufficient condition for diversifying graduate school. Increasing diversity requires us to capitalize on unintended consequences. Adopting the philosophy of intellectual entrepreneurship, although valuable to all students and disciplines, may have a special and perhaps more substantial impact on underrepresented minorities. The potential of intellectual entrepreneurship for increasing diversity inheres in its capacity to empower students to discover otherwise unobserved connections between academe and personal and professional commitments.

John Stuart Mill's on liberty: Implications for the epistemology of the new rhetoric

John Stuart Mills On Liberty has been largely ignored by rhetorical scholars as an important contribution to the discipline. This study reveals that Mills nineteenth century treatise embodies the tenets of a sophisticated theory of argument and makes clear the implications of that theory for contemporary rhetoric.

The Dorothy Doctrine of Engaged Scholarship: The Rhetorical Discipline “Had It All Along”

What is ‘‘engaged scholarship’’? For rhetoricians, the concept necessarily entails mutual implication, each term ringing hollow without the other. From the classical theories of rhetoric’s role in the polis to the twentieth century’s formative debates in the Quarterly Journal of Speech, the disciplinary preoccupation with engagement is omnipresent*and for good reason. We offer in this essay a definition of engagement as ‘‘mobilized expertise.’’ Explicating the centrality of engagement to rhetoric as a productive practice, hermeneutics, theory, and scholarly community, we contend that (1) the particular forms of engagement necessarily are multiple, (2) the engaged rhetorical scholar cannot operate in isolation from other academic and non-academic stakeholders, and (3) a robust understanding of engagement precludes a rigid distinction between ‘‘basic’’ and ‘‘applied’’ research. Engaged scholarship in rhetoric integrates theory, practice, and production. It is interand cross-disciplinary, igniting and facilitating a dialectic between the generalist and the specialist.

The Engaged University: Where Rhetorical Theory Matters

This essay contends that engagement, a productive coupling of the academys intellectual resources with the enterprise of generating solutions to current real-world challenges, can best flourish when its theoretical foundations rest upon rhetorical perspectivism. We examine the current movement in academe toward engagement and problems attendant to its implementation, present a solution to these shortcomings in the concept of “intellectual entrepreneurship,” offer “rhetorical perspectivism” as a constructive theoretical framework for grounding intellectual entrepreneurships philosophy of education, and illustrate with an example the advantages of applying rhetorical perspectivism to the project of engagement. Rhetorical perspectivism, we argue, unites “thinking” (reflection) and “doing” (action), enabling scholars to leverage knowledge for social good.

The contributory effect of rhetorical discourse: A study of language‐in‐use

This essay treats “language‐in‐use” as an index of rhetorical efficacy, suggesting that the substance and form of verbal reactions to discourse may reflect the degree of audience internalization. It is concluded that language‐in‐use assists the critic in determining whether changes in thinking and behavior are occasioned by words or actions—or a combination of both.