1. Kenneth Burke

4. Wherever there is persuasion, there is rhetoric
Wherever there is persuasion, there is rhetoric. And wherever there is 'meaning' there is persuasion.

5. The Key Question

6. The Key Question
What is involved, when we say what people are doing and why they are doing it?

7. “In a rounded statement of motives, you must have some words that name

8. “In a rounded statement of motives, you must have some words that name
Act– names what took place, in thought or deed

9. “In a rounded statement of motives, you must have some words that name
Act– names what took place, in thought or deed
Scene—the background of the act; the situation or conditions for what occurred

10. “In a rounded statement of motives, you must have some words that name
Act– names what took place, in thought or deed
Scene—the background of the act; the situation or conditions for what occurred
Agent—the kind of person that was involved

11. “In a rounded statement of motives, you must have some words that name
Act– names what took place, in thought or deed
Scene—the background of the act; the situation or conditions for what occurred
Agent—the kind of person that was involved
Agency– the tools or means used

12. “In a rounded statement of motives, you must have some words that name
Act– names what took place, in thought or deed
Scene—the background of the act; the situation or conditions for what occurred
Agent—the kind of person that was involved
Agency– the tools or means used
Purpose—the goal or end

13. Descriptions that feature…
Scene: draw attention to what is natural, necessary, inevitable
Actor/Agent: draw attention to rationality, personality, individuality, the “subjective,” freedom
Act: draw attention to the unique, the momentary, the unprecedented
Agency: draw attention to the tools, the instruments, the means and ways actors“make do”
Purpose: draws attention to the goal, the end, the ultimate, the mystery

15. Ratios
People will disagree about how to describe meaning and motive.

16. Ratios
People will disagree about how to describe meaning and motive. These disagreements typically entail different emphases regarding scene-act-agent-agency-purpose

17. For Example

18. For Example
Gun control advocates may emphasize the role of the agency/instrument in a given crime

19. For Example
Gun control advocates may emphasize the role of the agency/instrument in a given crime Gun rights advocates, by contrast, emphasize the role of the agent/actor and perhaps the scene (poverty, mental health care, etc).

20. For Example
Pro-life advocates define the act as murder and describe the body of the mother as part of the scene

21. For Example
Pro-life advocates define the act as murder and describe the body of the mother as part of the scene Pro-choice advocates define the act as choice and focus, often, on the agency/means (arguing about protecting safe, effective abortions).

22. For Example
Advocates for climate change policy typically highlight the impact of human agents, and especially the role of fossil fuels (agency).

23. For Example
Advocates for climate change policy typically highlight the impact of human agents, and especially the role of fossil fuels (agency).
Climate change skeptics often argue that the scene (earth) is so vast and/or resilient that human agents cannot change it.

24. For Example
Advocates for climate change policy typically highlight the impact of human agents, and especially the role of fossil fuels (agency).
Climate change skeptics often argue that the scene (earth) is so vast and/or resilient that human agents cannot change it. (some connect this with a “purpose” based theme– there is no need/way to intervene in the divine plan…

25. Critics

26. Critics
Ask how does a piece of public discourse organize scene-act-agent-agency-purpose?

27. Critics
Ask how does a piece of public discourse organize scene-act-agent-agency-purpose?
Can the account of motive be widened? (that is, would a description that highlights the role of individual actors benefit from an account of scene, or means, etc).

28. Rhetoricians
By contrast, speakers often seek to highlight one of the terms and lowlight the others… thus narrowing the range of interpretations on behalf of an audience.

29. Final note
“A perfectionist might seek to evolve terms free of ambiguity and inconsistency…what we want [however] is not terms that avoid ambiguity, but terms that clearly reveal the strategic spots at which ambiguities necessarily arise” (xviii).

30. Final note
“A perfectionist might seek to evolve terms free of ambiguity and inconsistency…what we want [however] is not terms that avoid ambiguity, but terms that clearly reveal the strategic spots at which ambiguities necessarily arise” (xviii).
“Hence…we rather consider it our task to study and clarify the resources of ambiguity” (xix).

31. Voice for the Voiceless
Example of the agent-agency ratio

32. Crashing Motive

33. Nugent’s Rhetoric of Motives