Full Description
Ethics in Contact Rhetoric re-orients communication theory by centering touch and de-centering symbolic acts. Inspired by MLK's tradition of nonviolent power, a contact orientation highlights the incarnate and immediate ground of communication ethics. Ethical interactions are defined as bio-relational dances arcing steps of nurture, respect, justice, and too often, violence. Centering humanity's physical mutuality is a vital move today. Communication is a thoroughly interactive art, but the West's ancient "instrumental" tradition of rhetoric and its accompanying utilitarian ethic valorize individual agency over joint action. This book re-balances rhetorical theory by enabling critique of embodied relational patterns. Special emphasis is placed on engaging material injustice and discerning the role of rhetoric in social transformation. Critical case studies demonstrate contact rhetoric's rich heuristic and diverse applications.
Contents
Preface: On Co-writing More, Rhetorical Touch, and Dancing Temples of Hope
Introduction: On Feelings, Dance Terms, and Forming Rhetorical Critics
Chapter 1: Centering Contact, Dancing Attitudes: On King Midas' Touch and Defining Terms
Jon Radwan
Chapter 2: Contact Rhetoric: Bodies and Love in Deus Caritas Est
Jon Radwan
Chapter 3: Conquest and Rhetorical Force: Truth, Mutuality, and Just Dancing in Relational Gravity
Jon Radwan
Chapter 4: With or Without God: Dancing and the Apocalypse
Omar Swartz
Chapter 5: "I Am Prepared to Die:" Mandela's Rivonia Address and Sabotage as Rhetorical Contact
Jon Radwan, Dale Cyphert, and Ellen Gorsevski
Chapter 6: Choosing: The Violence of Iowa Nice or an Ethical Bar Fight
Dale Cyphert
Chapter 7: Interspecies Communication Ethics and Relational Force: From Repression to Restorative Ecological Justice
Ellen Gorsevski
Chapter 8: Terrorism, Direction Action, and Holding Prisoners: Rhetorical Dimensions of Violent Contact
Jon Radwan
