Arguers as Lovers

Argumentative Essay # 102976

Communication > Language and Speech
Philosophy
Sociology

Arguers as Lovers

This paper discusses the various characteristics of the debater and argues the values of arguers as lovers.

1,341 words () | 3 sources | MLA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

The following paper argues that it is preferable to be a lover rather than a rapist in debate. The writer also maintains that it is unwise to be a seducer to the extent that seducer invariably means dissembling and obfuscation. As the writer sees it, one should be an empathetic and thoughtful debater and also willing to see the humanity in all people with whom one comes into contact - however disagreeable that person and his or her perspectives may be. In the end, while the writer feels that we may all, on occasion, argue unilaterally, and should all be well-versed in all forms of debate, the writer maintains that arguing as a lover is the most important thing of all.

From the Paper:

"In my own life, I have occasionally been a "rapist" when debating a point - at least as Brockriede defines aggressive, argumentative debate. However, I bristle at the charge even as I make it against myself. For one thing, to be impassioned about a point of view does not necessarily make one a "rapist" in any sense. Further, if one overwhelms an adversary in debate through strong logic, sharp analysis, clever argumentation, and a shower of statistics, the idea that such constitutes "rape" seems absurd; simply put, to believe in something sufficiently that one is passionate about it in debate (to the point that one even calls into question the veracity and legitimacy of a differing perspective) is simply to be an arguer of conviction - not necessarily an arguer consumed with the thought of intellectually "raping" an opponent."

Sample of Sources Used:

Blythin, Evan. "Arguers as Lovers: A Critical Perspective." Philosophy & Rhetoric, 12.3 (1979): 76-186.
Brockriede, Wayne. "Arguers as Lovers." Philosophy and Rhetoric, 5.1 (1972): 1-11.
Schuetz, Janice. "Dimensions of Teaching: The Methods, Relationships, and Ideas of Wayne Brockriede." Communication Quarterly, 34.4 (1986): 357-364.