Notes for February 2

Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca
Value Hierarchies and The New Rhetoric

I.Chaim Perelman and Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca argue for a theory of rhetorical presence: reasoning choices make present a particular world view.

A.Universal audience: ideal principles held by an audience.

B.Practical audience: values held by a particular audience.

C.For Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca, reasoning is a negotiation of values in any given context and reasoning is an ordering of values in any given context.

D.What are values? “Values are our central, core ideals about how to conduct our lives. They represent what we consider to be right or wrong. As a result, values are far more stable than attitudes or beliefs. In general, we learn our value system in childhood, and it remains essentially unchanged throughout our lives” (Woodward and Denton 136).

1.Values operate in systems: “a value system is an enduring organization of beliefs concerning preferable modes of conduct or end states of existence along a continuum of relative importance (Inch and Warnick 247).

2.Values are prescriptive rather than descriptive: deeply held beliefs help us to size up the world according to how it is and how we want it to be.

3.Values are collectively held because they are learned through social interaction; “human values are deep-lying components of collective belief systems and are thus inherently resistant to change” (Inch and Warnick 248).

4.Milton Rokeach: terminal values: desirable end states of existence; instrumental values: “concerns modes of conduct or the means of fulfilling other values” (247).

II.Value Hierarchies: there are difference loci—orders of preference--that make “present” particular worldviews; value hierarchies help us to compare values in relation to an issue, event, persona, or object.

A.Loci of quantity: premised on the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

B.Loci of quality: reflects what is unique, original, individual, irreparable, and immediate.

C.Loci of the Person: ordering argument based on the value for the dignity and autonomy of the person over all else.

D.Loci of the existent: values the concrete over the possible.

E.Loci of essence: values what is at the core of a group or class rather than what is on the fringes.

III.Writing arguments to evaluate.

A.Definition: define the value object, as well as any other controversial terms related to the topic. “By defining terms, the arguer establishes his or her own views of the basic concepts on which controversy will turn” (Inch and Warnick 252).

B.Field of perspective: what is the source or context for one’s perspective?

C.Criteria are then chosen to determine how the value object will be measured; “Criteria are the measures, norms, or rules used to judge whatever is being evaluated” (Inch and Warnick 254).

D.Application: apply criteria and measure value object; make a case for criteria and how it works.