Many Sides: A Protagorean Approach to the Theory, Practice and Pedagogy of Argument

320 Pages·2002·6.71 MB·English

by  Michael Mendelson (auth.)

MANY SIDES: A PROTAGOREAN APPROACH TO THE THEORY,
PRACTICE AND PEDAGOGY OF ARGUMENT
Argumentation Library
VolumeS
Series Editors:
Frans H. van Eemeren, University ofA msterdam
t Rob Grootendorst, University ofA msterdam
Joseph Wenzel, University of Illinois
John Woods, University of Lethbridge
MANY SIDES:
A PROTAGOREAN
APPROACH TO THE
THEORY, PRACTICE
AND PEDAGOGY OF
ARGUMENT
by
MICHAEL MENDELSON
Iowa State University,
U.S.A.
"~.
Springer-Science+Business Media, B.V.
A c.I.P. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-90-481-5935-2 ISBN 978-94-015-9890-3 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-94-015-9890-3
Printed on acid-free paper
All Rights Reserved
© 2002 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 2002
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 2002
No part ofthe material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or
utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner.
for Susan, uxori carissimae
CONTENTS
Introduction. .................................................................................................. xi
Part I Greek Origins and Organizing Principles
Chapter 1: Protagoras and the Philosophic Origins of Antilogic ................. 1
I. The Protagorean fragments and the theory ofperspectivism ........ 3
2. The case against the human-measure doctrine ............................ 12
3. Protagorean relativism and the human-measure doctrine ........... 23
4. Some implications of Prot ag ore an philosophy for rhetoric ........ 34
Chapter 2: Protagorean Practice and the Nature of Antilogic .................... 43
1. Antilogic translated and defined .................................................. 47
2. Antilogic, eristic, and dialectic .................................................... 58
3. Antilogic in its original context ................................................... 65
Chapter 3: Pragmatism, Ethics, and the Function of Antilogic ................. 73
1. The pragmatic dimensions of antilogic ....................................... 74
2. The ethical dimensions of antilogic ............................................. 86
Chapter 4: The Rhetorical Form of Antilogic .......................................... 101
1. Early forms of antilogical techne ............................................... 103
2. The principles of antilogic as praxis .......................................... 112
Vll
viii Many Sides
Part II Roman Developments in Practice and Pedagogy
Chapter 5: De Oratore and the Development ofControversia ............... 135
1. From antilogic to controversia ................................................... 138
2. The drama of Book I .................................................................. 144
3. Controversia and the single speaker in Book III ....................... 162
4. The question of Cicero's pedagogy .......................................... .l11D6
Chapter 6: Quintilian and the Pedagogy of Controversia ........................ 173
1. An historical prelude .................................................................. 178
2. Quintilian's use of controversial method ................................... 181
3. Quintilian's pedagogy of rhetoric and argument... .................... 187
4. Quintilian and pedagogical transformation ............................... 206
Epilogue: An Appropriate Pedagogy for Antilogical Argument ....... 213
I. A philosophical prelude ............................................................. 216
2. The dialogue of antilogic and the pedagogy of invention ......... 222
3. Practical judgment and its challenge to instruction ................... 233
4. Protagorean antilogic in the contemporary classroom .............. 244
Notes ........................................................................................................ 257
References............................................................................................... 275
Index ......................................................................................................... 293
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Protagorean theory would argue that books, like ideas, need opposition to
flourish. Of course, it doesn't hurt to receive a little encouragement along
the way, and this book has been the recipient of much of the latter. In
particular, Many Sides has been supported over several years by the research
program of Iowa State University, first in the form of a research leave and
then in steady research support from the Department of English. Among my
friends and colleagues at Iowa State, Rich and Julie Freed have been
steadfast in their interest in me and my work, David Russell has prodded me
gently, and 'Scott Consigny has helped me to think about Protagoras through
his own fine work on Gorgias. I have also been lucky in my students, many
of whom have understood antilogic by instinct and shown me what it can do
when practiced well.
In many ways, this book is an effort to develop a "thick pedagogy," a
concept that relies on gifted teachers able to realize the special kairos of the
classroom. I am privileged to have seen three such teachers at work-John
Ehrstine, Uli Knoepflmacher, and Michael Leff. Their professional decorum
has been an inspiration to this book and my career.
From the people at Kluwer, I have received not only professional advice
but also the kind of goodwill that has made publication a pleasure. In
particular, Susan Jones, Jacqueline Bergsma, and Frans van Eemeren have
been supportive at every step. Additional thanks to my anonymous reader,
whose good judgment improved more than my title.
In preparing my manuscript, I have had the benefit of some very
professional friends. Donna Kain gave this book more than its graceful
design; her good sense, hard work, and patience are on every page. David
ix
x Many Sides
Roberts was a scrupulous copy editor who, between naps, was always ready
to clip my wings. Irene Faas, my proofreader, used red pencils and
rhetorical expertise in the constant battle against "hateful error." And James
McGlew has done all he could to nudge me towards correctness in my
ancient language.
There is also my friend Jane Smiley, who works very fast and who
encouraged me when I was very slow. There are my sons, Aaron and Noah,
the A and N of the text, who have never had any difficulty taking the other
side. And, most of all, there is my wife, Professor Susan Carlson, my closest
dialogical partner, who has discussed every new development in this book's
history and then read every new draft that followed. I believe that almost
everything can and should be argued. But there is simply no argument about
the importance of her role in the development of Many Sides or about the
sincerity of its dedication.