SPCM 201 1st Edition Lecture 23Kenneth Burke Who is Kenneth Burke? 1897-1993 A.D. American Born in Pittsburgh, PA Student at Columbia University  “Educated” in New York City  A unique education (taught himself)  A wanderer: socialist, communist, poet, fiction writer, book reviewer, journalist “A party animal” Discovered rhetoric/rhetoric discovered him at middle-age  The single most important rhetorical scholar of the 20th century, of modern times  Burke’s Texts Burke has many influential texts We read fourThe Definition of ManLike many theorists, Burke starts by defining humanity to help explain rhetoric and human activityFive parts(1) Man is a Symbol Using Animal(2) Inventor of the Negative(3) Separated from his Own Making(4) Goaded by Spirit of Hierarchy(5) Rotten with Perfection #1 Man is Symbol Using Animal Symbols: something that stands for or suggests something elsei.e. cross, flags, wordsConsider how much for our world is made up of symbolsWe refuse to realize how central symbols are to our existenceThey are also imperfect: “talk about things in terms of what they are not.”HOWEVER, we do not just use words/symbols Symbols also use usTherefore, we are also symbol mis-using animals #2 Inventor of the Negative“There are no NEGATIVES in nature”They are the creation of humans and their symbolsCan you imagine a “not-chair”?Negatives are quite useful:The subjunctive: unfulfilled expectations“Thou shalt not”: the basis of morality and law Negatives also make humans distinctive…Humans are creatures of ACTION: we can choose to do or not do somethingAnimals are creatures of MOTION: they cannot see negatives, so they are impelled by instinct #3 Separated from his Natural Condition by Making Instruments of his Own Making All human societies are lead away from nature by their own inventionsWhat separates you from nature, at this moment?We create “second nature” (i.e. the city)-We feel more comfortable in itHumans invent many things, including tools (homofaber) and language These are second-level activities animals do not do Animals maight use tools; they do not use tools to make tools Animals might use language; but they do not use language to talk about language However, symbols are the primary invention of mankind that facilitates all other inventions #4 Goaded of Spirit of Hierarchy Humans are moved by incentives for organization and status (elaborated elsewhere)What kind of hierarchy do you encounter daily?People feel compelled to move higherGuilt plays a role in this processThose who are UP feel guilty that are not DOWNThose who are DOWN feel guilty they are not UPThis guilt creates a separation between people which they find mysteriousIt is trying to understand this mystery that often compels humans to communicate#5 Rotten with PerfectionPerfection is the goal of the symbol using animal Because of world is made of imperfect symbols, we are constantly trying to making those symbols more perfectly transmit our understanding to othersBut perfection is, of course, impossibleSo, we always fail, which produces guilt, shame, and the drive to reach perfection againIt’s human nature, but can have some bad consequencesScapegoating: blaming someone else for our inability to be perfect, often results in rejection from community“Terminology compulsion”: lying to ourselves about reality to make our reality seem perfectIndeed, if we could achieve perfection we would probably destroy ourselves in a perfect conclusion (Armageddon)-Therefore, becoming comfortable with our imperfection is the key to our salvation “Terministic Screens”An essay in Burke’s book Language and Symbolic Action Builds directly upon what he discusses in “The Definition of Man” Focuses on how Dramatistic Approach to Language Burke builds on “Definition of Man’s” idea that language is horatoryIt is about doing or not doing (i.e. “thou shall nots”)He labels this the Dramatistic approach to language (vs. the Scientific approach) -How we think of language use in stories, plays poems, advertising, theology, and rhetoric, etc. -By its very nature it is “suasive” (a.k.a. persuasive or rhetorical) -How so? Directing Attention“Even is any given terminology is a reflection of reality, by its very nature as a terminology it must be a selection of reality; and to this extent it must function also as a deflection of reality” In other words, language is not clear cut, obvious, and objective (i.e. scientism) Rather, by its very nature as a symbolic system it directs attention to certain meanings and away from others Terministic ScreensIn other words, language functions through terministic screens Color Filters Metaphor: “different photographs of the same object, the difference being that they were made with different color filters”To say it another way, our language often paints a picture of the same world in a very different ways to reflect our different perspectives The Call to Study Dramatism We must learn to live with terministic screens“There will be as many different world views in human history as there are people” How might we learn to use them better?However, we are also all united by this perspective taking through languageIn short, all humans are creatures of action—actions driven by symbolsGiven this, Dramatisim—analyzing language as a “mode of action rather than as a means of