Technical Communication Quarterly Mar 1995

Sophistic ethics in the technical writing classroom: Teaching<i>nomos,</i>deliberation, and action

J. Blake Scott Pennsylvania State University

Abstract

Drawing on arguments by Carolyn Miller, Steven Katz, and others, this essay claims that teaching ethics is particularly important to technical writing. Next, the essay outlines a classical, sophistic approach to ethics based on the theories and pedagogies of Protagoras, Gorgias, and Isocrates. This sophistic approach emphasizes the Greek concept of nomos, internal and external deliberation, and responsible action or articulation. The final section of the essay discusses possible problems and pedagogical applications of sophistic ethics in the contemporary technical writing classroom.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
1995-03-01
DOI
10.1080/10572259509364596
Open Access
Closed
Topics
rhetorical theory technical communication

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (6)

  1. Boedy (2017)
    From Deliberation to Responsibility: Ethics, Invention, and Bonhoeffer in Techn…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Jones et al. (2016)
    Disrupting the Past to Disrupt the Future: An Antenarrative of Technical Commun…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Longaker (2005)
    Beyond Ethics
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. Dombrowski (2000)
    Ethics and Technical Communication: The Past Quarter Century
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Todd (1998)
    A Longinian concept and methodology for technical communication
    Technical Communication Quarterly
Show all 6 →
  1. SMITH (1997)
    Intertextual Connections to “A Humanistic Rationale for Technical Writing”
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication

Cites in this index (6)

  1. KATZ (1993)
    Aristotle's Rhetoric, Hitler's Program, and the Ideological Problem of Praxis, …
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Reynolds (1992)
    Classical rhetoric and the teaching of technical writing
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Ornatowski (1992)
    Between efficiency and politics rhetoric and ethics in technical writing
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. Schiappa (1991)
    Sophistic rhetoric: Oasis or mirage?
    Rhetoric Review
  5. ANSON et al. (1990)
    Moving Beyond the Academic Community
    Written Communication
Show all 6 →
  1. Kallendorf et al. (1989)
    Aristotle and the Ethics of Business Communication
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Also cites 2 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.2307/378062
     ↗
  2. 10.2307/375964
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 8 View in citation network →

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