Gadflies, midwives, and argumentation

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dc.contributor.advisor Crooks, Shelagh
dc.creator Grandy, Corey Leroy Alexander
dc.date.accessioned 2018-12-19T15:12:04Z
dc.date.available 2018-12-19T15:12:04Z
dc.date.issued 2018
dc.identifier.other P301.5 P47 G73 2018
dc.identifier.uri http://library2.smu.ca/handle/01/28162
dc.description 108 leaves ; 29 cm
dc.description Includes abstract.
dc.description Includes bibliographical references (leaves 105-108).
dc.description.abstract This thesis focuses on defending the claim that contemporary philosophy deals inadequately with issues of public concern. Beginning with an Aristotelian distinction between dialectical and rhetorical argument, I argue that philosophers have come to view the former as the only acceptable approach while unduly condemning the latter. I contend that this is a mistake, and that stereotypically deceptive rhetoric is not representative of all rhetorical argumentation. I argue further that dialectical argument succumbs to an effectiveness problem concerning audience uptake and shows great disrespect for the lived experience of audience members. I show this through analysis of two paradigm arguments in moral philosophy: Judith Jarvis Thomson’s “A Defense of Abortion” and Peter Singer’s “Famine, Affluence, and Morality.” Finally, I argue that philosophers dealing with issues of public concern ought to empathize with audiences to construct arguments which better address the reasons that real people take such issues to be important. en_CA
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dc.description.provenance Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-19T15:12:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Grandy_Corey_MASTERS_2018.pdf: 660935 bytes, checksum: 6501932253e005ea4c429fa150cf0278 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-11-02 en
dc.language.iso en en_CA
dc.publisher Halifax, N.S. : Saint Mary's University
dc.subject.lcc P301.5.P47
dc.subject.lcsh Persuasion (Rhetoric)
dc.subject.lcsh Dialectic
dc.subject.lcsh Philosophy
dc.title Gadflies, midwives, and argumentation en_CA
dc.type Text en_CA
thesis.degree.name Master of Arts in Philosophy
thesis.degree.level Masters
thesis.degree.discipline Philosophy
thesis.degree.grantor Saint Mary's University (Halifax, N.S.)
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