Chapter 1. Rhetoric, argumentation, and persuasion in a multimodal perspective
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Georges Roque
Abstract
The study of multimodal argumentation and rhetoric raises difficult issues due to the hegemony of the verbal in argumentation and rhetoric. From this point of view, it is not sufficient to say that such study implies the analysis of the “interactions” between verbal and iconic elements, since their contribution to multimodality is hardly balanced. This chapter addresses two issues: First, the relationship between rhetoric and argumentation. Based upon a discussion of authors who have tried to fill the gap between rhetoric and argumentation, it would seem that rhetoric could be useful for argumentation thanks to the persuasiveness that it provides. However, if images are persuasive, can they also be argumentative? Second, the relationship between verbal and visual rhetoric will be discussed from the debate in French-speaking countries between “transpositionists” and “antitranspositionists.” This issue can be resolved if we consider that rhetoric is not intrinsically linguistic, but that it consists rather of cognitive operations that can be realised both verbally and visually.
Abstract
The study of multimodal argumentation and rhetoric raises difficult issues due to the hegemony of the verbal in argumentation and rhetoric. From this point of view, it is not sufficient to say that such study implies the analysis of the “interactions” between verbal and iconic elements, since their contribution to multimodality is hardly balanced. This chapter addresses two issues: First, the relationship between rhetoric and argumentation. Based upon a discussion of authors who have tried to fill the gap between rhetoric and argumentation, it would seem that rhetoric could be useful for argumentation thanks to the persuasiveness that it provides. However, if images are persuasive, can they also be argumentative? Second, the relationship between verbal and visual rhetoric will be discussed from the debate in French-speaking countries between “transpositionists” and “antitranspositionists.” This issue can be resolved if we consider that rhetoric is not intrinsically linguistic, but that it consists rather of cognitive operations that can be realised both verbally and visually.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Introduction. Argumentation and rhetoric in visual and multimodal communication 1
- Chapter 1. Rhetoric, argumentation, and persuasion in a multimodal perspective 25
- Chapter 2. The rhetorical and argumentative potentials of press photography 51
- Chapter 3. Editorial cartoons and ART 81
- Chapter 4. Arguing with illustrations 111
- Chapter 5. Perspective by incongruity 137
- Chapter 6. The argumentative relevance of visual and multimodal antithesis in Frederick Wiseman’s documentaries 165
- Chapter 7. Seeing the untold 189
- Chapter 8. Employing film form and style in the argumentative analysis of political advertising 217
- Chapter 9. Embodied argumentation in public debates 239
- Chapter 10. The “seeds” of charisma 263
- Name index 291
- Subject index 295
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Introduction. Argumentation and rhetoric in visual and multimodal communication 1
- Chapter 1. Rhetoric, argumentation, and persuasion in a multimodal perspective 25
- Chapter 2. The rhetorical and argumentative potentials of press photography 51
- Chapter 3. Editorial cartoons and ART 81
- Chapter 4. Arguing with illustrations 111
- Chapter 5. Perspective by incongruity 137
- Chapter 6. The argumentative relevance of visual and multimodal antithesis in Frederick Wiseman’s documentaries 165
- Chapter 7. Seeing the untold 189
- Chapter 8. Employing film form and style in the argumentative analysis of political advertising 217
- Chapter 9. Embodied argumentation in public debates 239
- Chapter 10. The “seeds” of charisma 263
- Name index 291
- Subject index 295
