2.3: Ancient Eastern Rhetorical Tradition
- Page ID
- 199289
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)In the 2019 edition of Argumentation: an International Journal on Reasoning, university professor Yun Xie makes the case that the Ancient Chinese philosophers also followed a systematized approach to argument. Like Aristotle’s approach, the Ancient Chinese rhetorical tradition seeks to persuade, however, Aristotle sought to persuade through evidence that could be proven, whereas the Ancient Chinese approach focuses more on reasoning from shared or understood principles in the metaphysical or epistemological level. This approach can be understood as argumentation by analogy.
Ancient texts refer to tu lei or argument by kind (sort). According to some Chinese philosophers, an effective argument will contain three elements:
- Gu (Reason)
- Li (Principle)
- Lei (kind/sort)
"More specifically, a claim should be established on the basis of some reason(s), and this establishment, or the inference from the reason(s) to the claim, needs to comply with an underlying principle. And more importantly, the legitimacy of both the reasons (Gu) and the underlying principle (Li) will have to be based on the knowledge about the kind in question" (qtd. in Xie 238).
The effectiveness of an argument examined whether the analogy effectively reflected the comparison of the two issues at hand (alignment) or whether the analogy effectively and correctly categorized the issues at hand. It is important to remember that many Asian cultures are collectivistic and indirect in their communication patterns. Meaning is often embedded in context; therefore, this rhetorical approach and analysis of argument is more flexible and contextual than typical, Western cultural communication patterns.
An example of tu lei: Human nature and flowing water both belong to the same kind of “things that can be ‘channeled’ (or developed) arbitrarily”, and it is clear that flowing water has no tendency (to go east or west), therefore, human nature also has no tendency (of being good or bad) (Xie 345).
Aristotle also included analogical arguments as an acceptable form of argumentation in his epistle on persuasion, Rhetoric. However, a key difference between the ancient Eastern rhetorical tradition and Aristotle's perspective is that the Eastern philosophers compare agreed-upon principles ("truths" from a metaphysical or epistemological perspective) whereas Western analogies tend to compare principles of natural and physical law.
This difference in approach to persuasion is key to understand how assumptions and perceptions of the world are shaped by our culture, society, politics, etc… which in turn shape our understanding of persuasion as a process and as a practice.
The next critical cultural approach is another example of how our world and life perspective can shape our view of persuasion as a process and practice.