Single Idea 20946

[catalogued under 19. Language / F. Communication / 1. Rhetoric]

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 Reference

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.