Boxing Platos Shadow: An Introduction to the Study of Human Communication

Michael Dues and Mary Brown

Foreword
This work is neither a complete history of the discipline nor an exhaustive description of
contemporary approaches to communication study. Rather, it is a rief overview.! "xi#
. . . it emphasi$es . . . the merits of multiple systematic approaches to the study of
communication.! "xi#
%hat do you think those &merits' mi(ht e)
*ntroduction+ ,tudyin( -ommunication
%hat are some of the means! we make of communication) That is, how do we use it)
"xv#
.n the flip side, how does it &make' us) -reate us) /ffect us)
0umans are social animals . . . 0umans are communicating animals "xv#
Man is the &symol1usin(, symol1makin(, and symol1misusin( animal.'!
"2enneth Burke, anguage as Sym!olic Action, 3niversity of -alifornia 4ress+
Berkeley, -/. 5677, p7.#
-ommunication skills are the 85 thin( employers want) "xvi#
%hat are &communication skills') /nd how does one ac9uire:learn them) "xvi#
1000 faculty members cant be wrong? (xvi)Then why are Clarkson students
not required to take any communication courses?
%hat do you think the authors mean when they talk aout effective, appropriate
communication!) "xvi#
What do you think it means?
%hat's the intri(uin( paradox! the authors present) "xvii#
Rhetoric) ;locution) ,peech) -ommunication) "xvii#
%hat's the central point re+ the fact that communication scholars study a "rocess that
cuts across many other disciplines!) "xvii#
Because it is a ui9uitous, on(oin( process that is inte(ral to human interaction,
communication is difficult to define in simple terms separate from the su<ect
matter of other disciplines.! "xviii# 1 emember this when we get to !lato"
Deception) Misuse) ;thics) "xviii#
,ophists) %ho were the sophists) "xix#
-hapter 5+ The Be(innin( of -ommunication ,tudy
%hat &system' was invented y the ancient =reeks as an alternative to fi(htin( amon(
themselves) "5#
Do you think it's a (ood thin( that people who are more skilled at speakin( have an
advanta(e in, for example, <udicial cases) ">#
%hat did the ,ophists elieve that offended some older, more traditional and elitist
/thenians!) "?#
%hat does -orax have to do with proaility) "?#
%hat important idea did 4rota(oras contriute) "?#
=or(ias @ oratory that ordered on poetry! "?1A#
/nd what is kairos#) "A#
0ippias vs. ,ocrates @ what did they disa(ree aout) "A#
*socrates @ an important nameB "A#
%hat other notions did the sophists help advance) "A#
,o why are words like sophist and sophistry used with disdain!) "A#
!latos #hadow ($%)
Descrie ,ocrates' attitude towards the ,ophists' ideas, in particular the notion of more
democratic (overnance. "CD#
&Truth' w( ca)ital T "7#
Eersus what)
%hat's the central point! of $he %e"u!lic, accordin( to our authors) "7#
0ow did 4lato view the sophists) "7#
%hat place! did 4lato assi(n rhetoric amon( the arts to e studied!) "7#
The disputed issue, then, is this+ Does rhetoric have a le(itimate part to play in
the discovery of truth, or is rhetoric only useful to hel" ex"lain truth after it has
!een discovered)! "F#
%hat mi(ht Mitchell say aout this) ,mith)
4lato's dialo(ues @ main character+ ,ocrates "F#
*ristotles esolution (+%)
/ristotle invented formal lo(ic @ suitale for certain knowled(e "G#
But he also understood that in many areas of life, certainty is not attainale. *n these
areas, humans can at est ascertain only &proale' truth.! "G#
,uch as)
/nd in those areas, he understood that persuasion and advocacy were valid decision1
makin( tools.! "G#
,o you agree?
/(reein( with 4rota(oras, he reasoned that, on matters for which certainty cannot e
reached, advocacy and deate are the est availale means of discoverin( what is most
proaly true. . . .! "G#
%hat does that say aout rhetoric's role) /out who should make decisions)
/out how decisions should e made)
Counter)oint- 4lato thou(ht rhetoric ad ecause it could promote falsehood over truth
"G16#
/ristotle felt that it could promote either @ and thus it was the duty of honorale citi$ens
to arm themselves with knowled(e and skill in rhetoric in order to defend truth! "6#
/ristotle's definition of rhetoric+ the art of discoverin( all the availale means of
persuasion in a (iven situation! "6#
3nderstand the difference etween syllo(isms and enthymemes)
Dialectic @ lo(ical syllo(isms "6#
Ma<or premise+ /ll humans are mortal.
Minor premise+ ,ocrates is human.
-onclusion+ ,ocrates is mortal
Rhetoric @ enthymemes "6#
Ma<or 4remise+ Those who study rhetoric speak elo9uently.
Minor 4remise+ ,usan studies rhetoric.
-onclusion+ ,usan speaks elo9uently.
2ey principles articulated y /ristotle in $he %hetoric+ "6#
-ommunication is purposive! @ intention of affectin( or influencin(
others "6#
=enres @ forensic "<udicial, courts#H delierative "assemly#H epideictic
"ceremonial : praise or lame# "6#
4ersuasive appeals @ ethos "source crediility#H logos "lo(ical support,
ar(ument#H "athos "emotional# "5I#
Five &canons' of rhetoric+ inventionH dispositionH styleH memoryH delivery
"5I#
Coming attraction" . !latos Gorgias / a negati0e )ortrayal of rhetoric (11)
1o2ing !latos #hadow (11%)
%hy do the authors refer to a %oody =uthrie son() "55#
,hadow oxin() *mplications) "5>#
*s rhetoric only one aspect of communication) .r does it depend on how you define it)
"5>#