Misunderstanding the Universal Audience

Advances in the History of Rhetoric Sep 2019

Misunderstanding the Universal Audience

Alan G. Gross

Abstract

ABSTRACT A major contribution to rhetorical theory and an important tool of rhetorical criticism, Perelman’s distinction between particular audiences and the universal audience has been misconstrued by his critics and even by Perelman himself. Properly construed, the universal audience is focused on facts and truths and consists of all human beings in so far as they are rational; consequently, discourse addressed to it eschews proofs from character and emotion. In contrast, addresses to particular audiences focus on values; they embrace not only proofs reason, but also those from character and emotion.

Journal: Advances in the History of Rhetoric
Published: 2019-09-02
DOI: 10.1080/15362426.2019.1671704
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Topics: rhetorical theory race and writing

Citation Context

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Cites in this index (1)

Crosswhite (2010)

Universalities

Philosophy & Rhetoric

Also cites 5 works outside this index ↓

Gettier (1963)

Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?

Analysis ↗
Jørgensen (2009)

Interpreting Perleman’s Universal Audience: Gross Vs. Crosswhite

Argumentation ↗
——— (1984)

The New Rhetoric and the Rhetoricians: Remembrances and Comments

Quarterly Journal of Speech ↗
Rawls (1999)

A Theory of Justice

↗
Williams (1973)

Problems of the Self

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