I've been thinking a lot lately about rhetoric in science. Science is supposed to be completely void of opinion, emotion, etc. This "fact" is driven into scientists during training - we are told countless times that the data is the data is the data.
I've noticed more and more lately that when science is mixed with business (and let's face it - when isn't it? We need funding somehow!) the data becomes less important. I'm not saying that data is not important, it's still is a large part of decision making. My point is that it's not the only part. I've attended pre-meetings where scientists and I have met to go over the "game-plan" with how best to present our data in order to persuade a larger group of decision-makers to make a particular decision. Sometimes the larger group makes the decision we want, sometimes they don't. The good thing about scientists is that they always challenge what you present to them so you do get a good discussion about the different points of an argument.
I think there is rhetoric in science, but scientists don't want to admit to it (not generally).
3 comments:
Yes! Science is very rhetorical. Always. There's a section in Herrick that addresses these issues. Also, you might be interested in Alan Gross's book, The Rhetoric of Science.
This is one of the things I find most scary, and I kind of talked about it tonight using evolution as an example. Even the earth is flat/earth is round debate was an example of how fact kind of has to be hammered out using rhetoric. Often belief without knowledge (as Plato determined rhetoric's goal to be) can trump fact, which is I suppose why rhetoric made Plato so nervous.
Not too sure about blogging. I'm a virgin at this so please have some patience.
Plato - Phaedrus - PERSONS OF THE DIALOGUE:
My first thought was these are two individuals that really want each other and this dialogue was a tool to seduction by one to the other. It then became apparent that not only was there a little flirting goin on, but there was a competition of lover versus non-lover. In my opinon, Socrates produces a very twisted response. Phaedrus presented Lysias rhetoric of this subject as a young man might do. Fast and furious love with some disregard for the lover and little. Whereas, Socrates older and possessing the mature experiences of having a true lover is able to make an important point to Phaedrus. This point is, "I would counsel Lysias not to delay, but to write another discourse, which shall prove that ceteris paribus the lover ought to be accepted rather than the non-lover.
Its refreshing however, to see how the scene and the relationships of these two men is son/parent, teacher/student, collegue/collegue, well as, lover/lover (potential lovers).
The document was very provocative.
Post a Comment