Rhetorical perspective and the limits of critique

Abstract

I argue that Gaonkar's diagnosis is flawed due to limits in his method of critique that obscure options available in rhetorical theory and overlook possibilities for application of that theory to practical contexts. Discussed are the limits of method, dialectical fragmentation of rhetorical perspective, and topoi in practice. I posit that the topical perspective for thinking rhetorically about scientific discourse encourages a kind of analysis that includes among its practical implications the prospect of furthering a humanistic form of science literacy.