Rogerian Argument

Rogerian Argument- Writing Theory

From Rhetoric: Discovery and Change with Communication: Its Blocking and Its Facilitation Richard E. Young, Alton L. Becker, Kenneth L. Pike, Carl R. Rogers This article is an excerpt from Teaching Argument in the Composition Course, 97-111. Abstract: In fact, Roger's theories, which are taken from small-group therapy, reverse the traditional order of things in argumentation; instead of the writer or speaker being the primary focus, the listener or reader is given first priority. It is up to rhetors to fully understand their interlocutor's point of view, no matter how foreign or complex, and, more importantly, to state this point of view to the audience's satisfaction before explaining their own. Rogerian argument rests on the assumption that out of a need to preserve the stability of his image, a person will refuse to consider alternatives that he feels are threatening, and hence that changing a person's image depends on eliminating this sense of threat. Much of men's resistance to economic argument seems explainable by this assumption. -97 Many people engaged in arguments ignore the effect that different context can have on a statement; they often say flatly, "It's true, and I can't imagine how any reasonable man could disagree with it." They might get further in an argument if they said, "If we consider it in such-and-such a context, or if we assume certain conditions, then it is true." -99 The statement is also true in a psychological context: Literature can help people become more perceptive about human problems and human conflict, and as a result more willing and able to deal with them intelligently. Opponents in an argument often, perhaps usually, disagree not because of fallacious reasoning or ignorance of the facts but because of the different contexts in which they see the problem. They may think that they are talking about the same subject when actually they aren't. -100 The threat-reducing acts we have already discussed can help to create trust; a more explicit and direct method, however it to show that writer and reader are similar in relevant ways. The writer can either build or discover bridges (e.g., shared attitudes, experiences, and values [. . .]) that will encourage trust and lead to further interaction. -102 ----------------------------------------