Chapter 7 "Framing Postmodern Commitment and Solidarity" Porter sharpens his focus by reasserting the kairotic, phronetic, sophistic position and outlining his central themes of rhetorical ethics (149-50):
But despite an articulation of what rhetorical ethics comprises, Porter argues for a particular attention to (1) positions toward audience and (2) "procedural strategies" when making decisions. In the final analysis, Porter calls for a new solidarity to counterbalance the liberal-individualist tendencies he sees as dominant.
- It sees writing as an act fraught with ethical issues. . . .
- It puts a high value on community customs, conventions, and beliefs (nomoi), but recognizes that communities can be wrong, hegemonic, or oppressive. . . .
- It places a high value on the spirit of caring, or brotherly and sisterly love, of friendship. . . .
- It assigns a preferential option for the poor, oppressed, and marginalized . . . .
- It places a high value on involvement and collaboration with others. . . .
- It places a high value on deliberation. . . .
- It places a high value on action . . .
- It stresses the operation of phronesis . . . .
- It places a high value on the constraints of the particular case . . .
Main Page | Porter's Previous Work | Guiding Questions | Rhetorical Ethics | Internetworked Writing | Internetworked Classroom | Shaping a Future Ethics Table of Contents | Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7