Extremist Rhetoric v Guerilla Rhetoric:

Not to long ago, Dr. Amy Gutmann, President of the University of Pennsylvania, gave a lecture at UIC titled, “The Lure of Extreme Rhetoric”. Dr. Gutmann examined the increasing allure of extremist rhetoric in public discourse and its perils for democracy. She identified some of the features of extremist rhetoric and explored responses that are often avoided by the either/or polarization of our culture. Extreme rhetoric, according to Gutmann, is characterized by single-mindedness on any issue coupled with an expression of this attitude that does not submit itself to public debate, thereby creating the perception of a single-minded certainty. Extreme rhetoric exists in a vast array of secular and religious varieties, Gutmann said. The question of, “how to educate the use extremist rhetoric?” provided a glimpse of the transitional nature of the discourse. The fact that education reinforces a belief system and camaraderie through the use of language requires that extremist rhetoric seek comfort in those that eschew her beliefs. Gutmann attributed the alluring quality of extreme rhetoric to the ease with which one-dimensional beliefs are adopted. She also mentioned the tendency of most people to seek "comrades in rhetoric" and to find comfort in the like-minded or those that reinforce their beliefs. Extreme rhetoric presents potential dangers to constitutional democracy because it "blatantly disregards truthful understanding" of any other opinion, "demonizes political opponents and associates the like-minded in a way that degenerates and degrades all others," Gutmann said. In order to de-construct the construction of modern education we need to advocate for what Gutmann called, “engaged pluralism.” She emphasized the importance of "engaged pluralism," which she described as based on a set of practical standards, including mutual respect and a principled search for common ground.
There is a need for institutions to promote pluralism, especially by "catering to the complexities that people have in their lives," she said. Higher educational institutions in particular should "cultivate reasoned argument and openness," she added. A prospective future for a reformation in the educational institutions must promote pluralism on one hand and a demand for the reframing of single-minded certainty. How this affects gurilla-rhetoric is yet to be examined...nevertheless, you should vist my blog/web page at: www.findingfoucault.blogspot.com
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Neptali