The idea of rhetoric as interpretive practice: a humanist's response to Gaonkar

• Michael Leff ^[1]
  1. [1] Northwestern University

     Northwestern University

     Township of Evanston, Estados Unidos

     
• Localización: Southern communication journal, ISSN 1041-794X, Vol. 58, nº 4, 1992, págs. 296-300
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • This response focuses on Gaonkar's binary contrast between the productive/performative function of classical rhetoric and the theoretical/interpretative function of contemporary rhetoric. The key to this distinction rests in what Gaonkar calls the “ideology of human agency” implicit in classical rhetoric. A close reading of his essay reveals that, in theory, Gaonkar does not eliminate this “ideology” but merely shifts it from the performer/producer to the interpreter. In practice, however, Gaonkar's reading of disciplinary history indicates a more satisfactory position—one that allows a more fluid relationship between production and interpretation.