Aristotle's Rhetoric, Hitler's Program, and the Ideological Problem of Praxis, Power, and Professional Discourse

Technical-professional communication as praxis, or social action, is extended beyond skill or amoral art into the realm of phronesis, concerned with reasoning about ends rather than means. However, praxis and phronesis are sociologically constructed and, like social-epistemic rhetoric, ideologically...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of business and technical communication 1993-01, Vol.7 (1), p.37-62
Main Author: KATZ, STEVEN B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aristotle
Communication
Discourse
Discourse Modes
Experts
Hitler (Adolf)
Ideology
Praxis
Propaganda
Rhetoric
Rhetorical Strategies
Rhetorical Theory
Scientific and Technical Information
Social Determination of Meaning
Social Power
Technology
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Summary:Technical-professional communication as praxis, or social action, is extended beyond skill or amoral art into the realm of phronesis, concerned with reasoning about ends rather than means. However, praxis and phronesis are sociologically constructed and, like social-epistemic rhetoric, ideologically defined in the political context by the ethic of expediency enabling deliberative rhetoric. Hitler's use of propaganda to construct praxis and define phronesis in Nazi Germany is examined in terms of the rational but open-ended nature of Aristotle's political-ethical thought, and the implications for our understanding of Aristotelian praxis is discussed. Finally, the failure of professional discourse surrounding the siting of a low-level nuclear waste facility to create a persuasive reality and yet ideologically construct praxis is examined, raising questions concerning the possibility of a deliberative technical rhetoric in U.S. democracy.
ISSN:1050-6519
1552-4574
DOI:10.1177/1050651993007001003