Chapter 10 Rogerian Argument You will find some

Chapter 10 Rogerian Argument

You will find some helpful (albeit dated) posts on Youtube about Rogerian argument, including a video of one of Rogers’ lectures on empathy! https: //www. youtube. com/results? search_query=rogerian+argument

Grounded in psychotherapy coming out of the Cold War of the 1950 s with the purpose of ‘cooling’ down heated argumentation, especially in a nuclear powered world (hmmm…our novel remind you of things that people worried about? )

Highlight features Sympathy for the opposition Recognizing validity in the opposition Non-confrontational, collegial, and friendly Respects multiple truths, not just one Goal is degree of consent/agreement (not a slap in the face!)

Structure Id the problem Articulate the opposition Stating what is acceptable/valid/of merit in the opposition Then. . . showing the opposition how the situation can be approved with reasoning

You then get the actual essay that Rogers wrote on this argumentative approach

The necessity of communication so that people feel UNDERSTOOD and LISTENED TO Avoiding ‘spitting’ out a response that is likely emotionally charged, short-fused, short-sighted, not carefully thought out, essentially whatever one’s agenda was/is/has been instead of GENUINELY concerned about the other side’s issues

Cartoon at left vs. the dialogue below Suggestion: imagine a dialogue wherein BEFORE you could say ANYTHING you had to say, you had to REPEAT what the person before you just said i. e. Mom “Go clean your room!” Kid “Mother, I understood that you just told me to clean my room. I’d like to explain why I can’t do that right now. ” Mom “Kid, you just said that you can’t clean your room right now. I don’t like that. ” Kid “Mother, I understood that you just indicated that you do not like my delay about cleaning my room. But I’m working on my English 201 work because our break just ended, and I have to do research. ” Mom “Kid, you said that you are doing English work because break ended, and you have to do research. What’s on your screen doesn’t look like research, and besides, it smells like twinkies in here. ”

You just don’t have an room to get MAD when someone else’s words have to come out of YOUR mouth accurately

This approach is about a dedication to good relationships, courage (to listen without being a jerk/hothead), and faith in social science to bridge incredible divides between groups, classes, cultures, nations, etc.

Imagine how civilized, sincere, committed (instead of defensive), and communicative society could be?

In application, you worked with this kind of tone in essay 2 where you had to acknowledge some merit in the ‘runner up’ writer’s argument and rhetorical strategies

The text example Wilson’s “Letter to a Southern Baptist Minister” is quite effective. The scientist is appealing to the pastor that they are both men of learning, both striving to clarify complexity for their audiences, and that he NEEDS the pastor’s help/counsel in understanding how Creationism and Evolution are really striving to respect and revere life and the environment. (Lots of whipped cream and sprinkles everywhere—do you think this is successful?