more on this theme | more from this text
Full Idea
The attempt to rid philosophy of rhetoric falls prey precisely to that fact that what is involved in rhetoric is inherent in what is built into all natural languages by their genesis in the real historical world.
Gist of Idea
Rhetoric is built into language, so it cannot be stripped from philosophy
Source
Andrew Bowie (Introduction to German Philosophy [2003], 2 'Hamann')
Book Ref
Bowie,Andrew: 'Introduction to German Philosophy' [Polity 2003], p.49
A Reaction
Rhetoric can range from charming to bullying, and it is the latter which is the problem. The underlying issue is dogma versus dialectic. Some analytic philosophers have a good shot at being non-rhetorical.
22055 | The Idealists saw the same unexplained spontaneity in Kant's judgements and choices [Bowie] |
22049 | Transcendental idealism aims to explain objectivity through subjectivity [Bowie] |
22054 | German Idealism tried to stop oppositions of appearances/things and receptivity/spontaneity [Bowie] |
22056 | Crucial to Idealism is the idea of continuity between receptivity and spontaneous judgement [Bowie] |
20942 | Nazis think race predetermines the self [Bowie] |
20946 | Rhetoric is built into language, so it cannot be stripped from philosophy [Bowie] |
20950 | German Idealism says our thinking and nature have the same rational structure [Bowie] |
20955 | Art can make reason more all-inclusive, by articulating what seemed inexpressible [Bowie] |