Mike Hamende
hamendem@cts.db.erau.edu
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Re[4]: THE RHETORICAL THEORY
Author: CyberJournal for Rhetoric and Writing
<RHETNT-L@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu> at Internet-mail
Date: 8/6/96 03:05 PM
Recently Ms. Sybert was commenting on the use of sacred texts as =
"authorities". I would like to respectfully disagree with her position =
which would permit students to cite such texts. Many years ago, I am an =
Almost Dead White Male, I learned that authorities were accepted =
repositories of knowledge, accepted that is by those who are =
knowledgeable in a certain field. If you need a bridge hand analysed, =
you ask Charles Goren, if you have a toothache, you seek the advice of a =
dentist etc. etc. Therefore, unless we were discussing theology, I would =
insist that students stick to sources that are relevant to the topic =
they are writing about! I cannot see how you can divorce rhetoric from =
logic in formulating an argument or expounding a thesis. Schemes, =
tropes etc. are devices for presenting an argument effectively, not a =
subsitute for clear and logical thinking. Faith or reason, not both!
David Silver
Thornhill, Canada