Philosophy & Rhetoric Dec 2021

Ethical Repetitions: Rhetorical Imitation and/as Algorithmic Judgment

Matthew J. Breece

Abstract

ABSTRACT In order to explore the possibilities of affirmative ethics and algorithmic judgment, this article puts machinic rhetoric in conversation with classical imitation pedagogy. Taking a machine-learning chatbot as my example, I examine how imitation and repetition in a restrictive economy of rhetorical models produces a limited affirmative ethics through dialectical relations. Drawing on Hannah Arendt's concept of representative thinking to theorize a procedure for algorithmic judgment, I argue that rhetorical training requires the affirmation of a plurality of models if it is to generate not only versatility but also ethical repetitions.

Journal
Philosophy & Rhetoric
Published
2021-12-01
DOI
10.5325/philrhet.54.4.0348
Open Access
Closed
Topics
multimodality social media

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

Cites in this index (6)

  1. Holmes et al. (2018)
    Cultivating Metanoia in Twitter Publics: Analyzing and Producing Bots of Protes…
    Computers and Composition
  2. Bost et al. (2016)
    The Surplus of the Machine: Trope and History in<i>The Eighteenth Brumaire of L…
    Philosophy & Rhetoric
  3. Brown (2014)
    The Machine That Therefore I Am
    Philosophy & Rhetoric
  4. Gunn (2014)
    Canned Laughter
    Philosophy & Rhetoric
  5. Marder (2014)
    Pandora's Fireworks; or, Questions Concerning Femininity, Technology, and the L…
    Philosophy & Rhetoric
Show all 6 →
  1. Erdmann (1993)
    Imitation pedagogy and ethical indoctrination
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly
Also cites 5 works outside this index ↓
  1. (2017)
    “Semantics Derived Automatically from Language Corpora Contain Human-Like Biases.”
    Science  ↗
  2. (2018)
    “Machinic Rhetorics and the Influential Movements of Robots.”
    Review of Communication  ↗
  3. (2018)
    “The Ugly Truth about Ourselves and Our Robot Creations: The Problem of Bias and Social I…
    Science and Engineering Ethics  ↗
  4. (2007)
    “On Rhetoric as Gift/Giving.”
    Philosophy & Rhetoric  ↗
  5. (2017)
    “The Age of Twitter: Donald J. Trump and the Politics of Debasement.”
    Critical Studies in Communication  ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 0 View in citation network →

Related Articles

  1. Journal of Business and Technical Communication Apr 2026
    An Acceptance Analysis of Firms’ Posts on Sina Weibo to Build Credibility ↗
    Chenghui Wu
    multimodality social media
  2. Written Communication Apr 2025
    Translanguaging Space Construction in Five Chinese EFL Learners’ Collaborative English-Language Culture-Introduction Videos: Patterns and Influential Factors ↗
    Xuehua Fu; Lawrence Jun Zhang
    multimodality social media translingualism multilingual writers
  3. Pedagogy Jan 2025
    The Bottom Line ↗
    Thomas Blake
    multimodality social media gender and writing multilingual writers
  4. Poroi Dec 2024
    Viral Denial: Pandemics, Chiropractic, and the Persuasive Power of Invisibility ↗
    Julie A Homchick Crowe
    multimodality social media race and writing multilingual writers
  5. Philosophy & Rhetoric Sep 2024
    Rhetoric Is Dead? The Fear of Stasis Behind Post-Truth Rhetoric ↗
    Eric S. Jenkins
    multimodality social media race and writing affect and writing