Rhetoric & Public Affairs Mar 2013

Selling Democracy and the Rhetorical Habits of Synthetic Conflict: John Dewey as Pragmatic Rhetor in China

Scott R. Stroud

Abstract

Abstract This study examines the case of the American philosopher John Dewey as rhetor and public intellectual in China in 1919–1921 to elucidate the lived rhetoric of pragmatism. In China, Dewey gave more than 200 lectures to large academic and general audiences on topics such as education, philosophy, and science. This lecturing activity represents a remarkable and complex rhetorical situation as it involves Dewey addressing an audience not familiar with his ideas and potentially open to persuasion. Using recently discovered lecture notes written by Dewey and translations from the Chinese interpretations of his lectures, I argue that his lectures evinced a pragmatist rhetorical style that attempted to reconstruct dominant habits of thought and communication among his Chinese audiences. In so doing, this study advances our understanding of Dewey as rhetor and the theoretical grounds of the pragmatist rhetoric of experience and synthetic conflict.

Journal
Rhetoric & Public Affairs
Published
2013-03-01
DOI
10.14321/rhetpublaffa.16.1.0097
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Topics
modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism voice and style argument
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Cited by in this index (2)

  1. Stroud (2016)
    Pragmatism and the Pursuit of Social Justice in India: Bhimrao Ambedkar and the…
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly
  2. Hartnett (2013)
    To “Dance with Lost Souls”: Liu Xiaobo, Charter 08, and the Contested Rhetorics…
    Rhetoric & Public Affairs

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