Theses and Dissertations
Date of Award
8-2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
English
First Advisor
Dr. Lyon Rathbun
Second Advisor
Dr. Mark Noe
Third Advisor
Dr. James Frost
Abstract
In this thesis, I will be examining the arguments Wayne C. Booth put forth for Pluralism in rhetorical studies. I will show how Booth believed that ethical criticism, not only in literary criticism but in all disputation, must take place in order for us to understand each other and objective values. Booth believed that our differing opinions and arguments may not be reconcilable, but by employing “listening rhetoric”, a method of paying close attention to the arguments of those who disagree with us, we can arrive at truths that are shared within a community. I juxtapose Booth with both Positivists (such as Bertrand Russell and others) and Deconstructionists (such as Jacques Derrida) and demonstrate how Booth’s Pluralism was formed over time as a response to these theories.
Recommended Citation
Ordeman, William John, "Wayne Booth's Rhetoric of Pluralism" (2017). Theses and Dissertations. 331.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/etd/331
Comments
Copyright 2017 William John Ordeman. All Rights Reserved.
https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/wayne-booths-rhetoric-pluralism/docview/1964970235/se-2?accountid=7119