Post-Truth Rhetoric and Composition
58 pages, 4 1/2 x 7
Paperback
Release Date:07 Nov 2017
ISBN:9781607327448
GO TO CART

Post-Truth Rhetoric and Composition

Utah State University Press

Post-Truth Rhetoric and Composition is a timely exploration of the increasingly widespread and disturbing effect of “post-truth” on public discourse in the United States. Bruce McComiskey analyzes the instances of bullshit, fake news, feigned ethos, hyperbole, and other forms of post-truth rhetoric employed in recent political discourse.

The book frames “post-truth” within rhetorical theory, referring to the classic triad of logos, ethos, and pathos. McComiskey shows that it is the loss of grounding in logos that exposes us to the dangers of post-truth. As logos is the realm of fact, logic, truth, and valid reasoning, Western society faces increased risks—including violence, unchecked libel, and tainted elections—when the value of reason is diminished and audiences allow themselves to be swayed by pathos and ethos. Evaluations of truth are deferred or avoided, and mendacity convincingly masquerades as a valid form of argument.

In a post-truth world, where neither truth nor falsehood has reliable meaning, language becomes purely strategic, without reference to anything other than itself. This scenario has serious consequences not only for our public discourse but also for the study of composition.

Post-Truth Rhetoric and Composition urges writing teachers and scholars to double-down on efforts to identify and resist demagoguery and the corrosion of U.S. public discourse’
Kairos
 
Bruce McComiskey specializes in rhetoric and composition, classical rhetoric, and professional writing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His publications include Microhistories of CompositionDialectical RhetoricTeaching Composition as a Social ProcessGorgias and the New Sophistic Rhetoric, and the edited collection English Studies: An Introduction to the Disciplines.
Find what you’re looking for...

Free shipping on online orders over $40

Stay Informed

Receive the latest UBC Press news, including events, catalogues, and announcements.


Read past newsletters

Publishers Represented
UBC Press is the Canadian agent for several international publishers. Visit our Publishers Represented page to learn more.