Page 163 - Gabrijela Kišiček and Igor Ž. Žagar (eds.), What do we know about the world? Rhetorical and argumentative perspectives, Digital Library, Educational Research Institute, Ljubljana 2013
P. 163
rhetoric of crisis: polish parliamentarian
debates on the future of the eu 163
The analyzed debates present undoubtedly the cases of exigency – the
economic crisis requires fast decision making, the MPs demand from
the government full information on the actions taken and the effect of
it is the debate called: current information. The place in which the con-
crete opinions are expressed influences what is being spoken as well as
the way it is spoken. The plenary sessions of the Seym, radio and TV
transmission of the debates, the attention of the media – all those ele-
ments influence the rhetoric choices of the speakers. Some of the most
influential factors are related to the social roles performed by the broad-
casters. Political rhetoric is highly ritualized, and, as a result – the verbal
behaviours are quite predictable. If the head of the government speaks,
most certainly he will concentrate on proving that the decisions of the
cabinet are justified, while the representative of the opposition will focus
on arguing that they are not.
The next important notion we discuss is the definition of the situa-
tion, a term used by a sociologist, William Thomas. It is a sort of mutu-
al agreement that all participants of the interaction have adopted. That
sociological definition of the situation is close to the suggestions of Ken-
neth Burke, for whom the function of rhetoric is exactly an appropri-
ate naming or defining of what the given situation is (Burke, 1969: 206).
The speaker (sender) uses rhetoric in order to select, from the surround-
ing plethora of objects, principles, and events the ones whose properties
correspond to meanings he/she would like to focus on. The objective of
fitting properties and meanings together is to make the listener accept
the understanding of the situation presented by the speaker. We can see
it in this simple example. We have an apple vendor, who advertises them
to the customers. On a hot day he speaks of their juicy nature and how
they can quench the thirst. A young mother is being persuaded that the
apples contain lots of vitamins and that they are very healthy. To an el-
derly gentleman the vendor praises their softness and to the housewife
he recommends his apples as the best kind for the apple pie. Apples have
also many other features – they are round, red or yellow, have a soft or
tough skin, they are sweet or sour – but rhetoric is the matter of choice.
Situation definition turns out to be a negotiation of mutually accepted
meanings important for the both parties in the communication situa-
tion. The matter is similar in the case of the economic crisis. It does not
matter then if the prime minister has a good rapport with his ministers
and plays ball with them, but what matters is his ability to make deci-
sions quickly and accurately.
debates on the future of the eu 163
The analyzed debates present undoubtedly the cases of exigency – the
economic crisis requires fast decision making, the MPs demand from
the government full information on the actions taken and the effect of
it is the debate called: current information. The place in which the con-
crete opinions are expressed influences what is being spoken as well as
the way it is spoken. The plenary sessions of the Seym, radio and TV
transmission of the debates, the attention of the media – all those ele-
ments influence the rhetoric choices of the speakers. Some of the most
influential factors are related to the social roles performed by the broad-
casters. Political rhetoric is highly ritualized, and, as a result – the verbal
behaviours are quite predictable. If the head of the government speaks,
most certainly he will concentrate on proving that the decisions of the
cabinet are justified, while the representative of the opposition will focus
on arguing that they are not.
The next important notion we discuss is the definition of the situa-
tion, a term used by a sociologist, William Thomas. It is a sort of mutu-
al agreement that all participants of the interaction have adopted. That
sociological definition of the situation is close to the suggestions of Ken-
neth Burke, for whom the function of rhetoric is exactly an appropri-
ate naming or defining of what the given situation is (Burke, 1969: 206).
The speaker (sender) uses rhetoric in order to select, from the surround-
ing plethora of objects, principles, and events the ones whose properties
correspond to meanings he/she would like to focus on. The objective of
fitting properties and meanings together is to make the listener accept
the understanding of the situation presented by the speaker. We can see
it in this simple example. We have an apple vendor, who advertises them
to the customers. On a hot day he speaks of their juicy nature and how
they can quench the thirst. A young mother is being persuaded that the
apples contain lots of vitamins and that they are very healthy. To an el-
derly gentleman the vendor praises their softness and to the housewife
he recommends his apples as the best kind for the apple pie. Apples have
also many other features – they are round, red or yellow, have a soft or
tough skin, they are sweet or sour – but rhetoric is the matter of choice.
Situation definition turns out to be a negotiation of mutually accepted
meanings important for the both parties in the communication situa-
tion. The matter is similar in the case of the economic crisis. It does not
matter then if the prime minister has a good rapport with his ministers
and plays ball with them, but what matters is his ability to make deci-
sions quickly and accurately.
