Biorhetorics: An introduction to applied rhetoric

Authors

  • Stephen Pain University of East Anglia (resident in Paris) c/o Elena Blinkova, 9 Square Desaix, Paris 75005

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12697/SSS.2002.30.2.24

Abstract

This paper is an introduction to the new field of biorhetorics. Biorhetorics is an applied form of rhetoric that evolved from the study of classical rhetoric, particularly Aristotelian. The author illustrates the stages of development necessary for the creation of a species-specific rhetoric: by (1) formalising rhetoric so as to create a functional rhetoric, (2) then reducing this to a symbolic rhetoric that can be used in conjunction with the collected data of an organism’s Umwelt (including its genome) to form (3) a species-specific rhetoric. The paper draws upon the latest research on bacterial and viral communication to show the possibilities of biorhetorics. In the course of discussing the nature of biorhetorics the author distinguishes it from argumentation theory and rhetoric/s of biology, and positions alongside other fields used in the life sciences such as biosemiotics, information theory, game theory, etc.

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Published

2002-12-31

How to Cite

Pain, S. (2002). Biorhetorics: An introduction to applied rhetoric. Sign Systems Studies, 30(2), 755–772. https://doi.org/10.12697/SSS.2002.30.2.24

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Section

Articles