Rhetoric Society Quarterly Mar 2005

Rethinking perelman's universal audience: Political dimensions of a controversial concept

Antonio Raul De Velasco Emory University

Abstract

Abstract This article challenges the common assumption that Chaim Perelman's concept of the universal audience ought to be thought of primarily as a rational standard for argumentation. I argue instead that it has more interesting implications for political critique than for practical reason and that it can be used to draw attention to how social constructions of universality circulate in various contexts of symbolic production. To extend the reach of Perelman's insight, I relate it to four concepts in critical theory and suggest ways that the universal audience might be reconfigured as an instrument for politically conscious rhetorical criticism.

Journal
Rhetoric Society Quarterly
Published
2005-03-01
DOI
10.1080/02773940509391310
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Topics
modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism argument
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (3)

  1. Randazzo (2019)
    About Face: Reflexively Considering “Audience” in Hiring Situations
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Crosswhite (2010)
    Universalities
    Philosophy & Rhetoric
  3. Fernheimer (2009)
    Black Jewish Identity Conflict: A Divided Universal Audience and the Impact of …
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly

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