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Books by Alex C Parrish
Palgrave, 2021
The Sensory Modes of Animal Rhetorics: A Hoot in the Light presents the latest research in animal... more The Sensory Modes of Animal Rhetorics: A Hoot in the Light presents the latest research in animal perception and cognition in the context of rhetorical theory. Alex C. Parrish explores the science of animal signaling that shows human and nonhuman animals share similar rhetorical strategies—such as communicating to manipulate or persuade—which suggests the vast impact sensory modalities have on communication in nature. The book demonstrates new ways of seeing humans and how we have separated ourselves from, and subjectified, the animal rhetor. This type of cross-species study allows us to trace the origins of our own persuasive behaviors, providing a deeper and more inclusive history of rhetoric than ever before.
In recent years, humanists and social scientists have shown increasing interest in human-animal... more In recent years, humanists and social scientists have shown increasing interest in human-animal relations – to the point where many now speak of an ‘animal turn’ in the humanities and social sciences. Across history, psychology, anthropology, literature, sociology, philosophy, and law, an interdisciplinary field of human-animal studies has been forming. Certain common themes run through this diverse field, not least the reproduction of human-animal difference, and the conditions and the implications thereof.
Despite the long history of language use as a marker of such difference, the academic quest to investigate the boundary between human and nonhuman has, somewhat surprisingly, not taken root within rhetorical studies – at least not until now. For this edited volume, we therefore call for chapters that investigate the place of nonhuman animals in the purview of rhetorical theory; what it would mean to communicate beyond the human community; how rhetoric reveals our ‘brute roots.’ In other words, this book invites contributions which enlighten us about likely or possible implications of the animal turn within rhetorical studies. Would such a turn imply, for instance, that rhetoric needs a nonanthropocentric reconfiguration? The question, perhaps, is this: What difference would it make to the discipline if we assumed that nonhuman forms of communication were as interesting as human ones?
Rhetorical scholarship has for decades relied solely on culture to explain persuasive behavio... more Rhetorical scholarship has for decades relied solely on culture to explain persuasive behavior. While this focus allows for deep explorations of historical circumstance, it neglects the powerful effects of biology on rhetorical behavior – how our bodies and brains help shape and constrain rhetorical acts. Not only is the cultural model incomplete, but it tacitly endorses the fallacy of human exceptionalism. By introducing evolutionary biology into the study of rhetoric, this book serves as a model of a biocultural paradigm. Being mindful of biological and cultural influences allows for a deeper view of rhetoric, one that is aware of the ubiquity of persuasive behavior in nature. Human and nonhuman animals, and even some plants, persuade to survive - to live, love, and cooperate. That this broad spectrum of rhetorical behavior exists in the animal world demonstrates how much we can learn from evolutionary biology. By incorporating scholarship on animal signaling into the study of rhetoric, the author explores how communication has evolved, and how numerous different species of animals employ similar persuasive tactics in order to overcome similar problems. This cross-species study of rhetoric allows us to trace the origins of our own persuasive behaviors, providing us with a deeper history of rhetoric that transcends the written and the televised, and reveals the artifacts of our communicative past.
Papers by Alex C Parrish
Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment
Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment
Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment
This article introduces emerging programs of study in the field of English (defined broadly) that... more This article introduces emerging programs of study in the field of English (defined broadly) that operate under an evolutionary paradigm. Emerging from the “crisis of the humanities” that became known to a wider public audience in the late 20th-century, literary Darwinism is examined as an alternative or addition to mainstream post-structuralist theory, to which some attribute blame for the decline of literature’s prestige. There are strong and weak forms of literary Darwinism in practice, ranging in approach from a complete paradigm shift to merely adding one more lens through which to read literature, film, and poetry in terms of both biology and culture. Rhetoric and composition scholarship is beginning to show interest in biocultural explanations for persuasive behavior as well. The nascent field of adaptive rhetoric combines the comparative study of human and nonhuman animal rhetorics with insight from evolutionary cognitive psychology, in order to gain further insight into the products of our evolved minds, such as rhetorical acts.
Argues for the study of human and nonhuman animal rhetorics under a biocultural paradigm.
There are striking similarities between the Ciceronian conception of ethos and the behavioral pat... more There are striking similarities between the Ciceronian conception of ethos and the behavioral patterns of some social animals. To track them could shed light on the contributions evolutionary pressures have made to humanity’s use of ethos in rhetoric. Efforts to establish a reputation for good character are common in the natural world, and this is reflected in Ciceronian rhetorical theory. Through conspicuous displays of altruism and the construction of a positive ethos, animals (including humans) secure benefits from one another, such as food sharing, mating rights, or even legal decisions. Often these advantages make a difference in an individual’s ability to survive and procreate. Thus those animals that secure the goodwill (benevolentiam conciliare) of their fellows are more likely to pass down their genes. Likewise, Cicero places great emphasis on the construction of ethos in oratory, and he employs conspicuous displays of his own when attempting to demonstrate his good character. By studying the underlying evolutionary motivations, we might better understand the importance of ethos in rhetorical situations.
Quietism's ubiquitous application to Epicureanism reveals the view of the majority of sc... more Quietism's ubiquitous application to Epicureanism reveals the view of the majority of scholars, but the Epicureans were not in practice inactive. Any school engaging in political debate cannot be quietistic in the standard sense (if we may call it standard--the term is ...
Talks by Alex C Parrish
Writing professor Alex Parrish argues the importance of recognizing animal voices. He says that i... more Writing professor Alex Parrish argues the importance of recognizing animal voices. He says that if other animals are non-human persons, our relationship with them should change dramatically.
Several difficulties confront those who wish to expand the scope of rhetorical theory to include ... more Several difficulties confront those who wish to expand the scope of rhetorical theory to include nonhuman animal voices. The most pressing is that of overcoming anthropocentrism. Derrida attempted to address this problem toward the end of his career, wondering at the arrogance it takes to divide an entire kingdom of beings into two equal categories: the human and the rest of the animals. Not only does this gloss over the great abundance of species, but it also elevates humans to an artificially dominant status. Hierarchy is the spirit by which “man” is “goaded,” according to Kenneth Burke in his widely-cited “Definition of Man.” It is our desire to impose order on the natural world and our assumption that we should be on top that makes the creation – and the sometimes violent enforcement – of hierarchy appealing to human animals. But rhetoricians are aware of the dangers of hierarchy, at least when we attempt to create and enforce divisions based on differences between human bodies.
What is required to overcome the challenges of anthropocentrism and hierarchy is the recognition of animal voices and agency. In a humanistic tradition that has warmly embraced Bruno Latour’s use of a talking train to demonstrate how even artifacts can be agents in his explication of Actor Network Theory, it should be a very short step to allow truly animate beings the same courtesy. Yet the mere idea of animals having intentions, let alone the will to pursue goals that are not purely instinctual, is offensive to some. This point of view, that nonhuman animals are mere slaves to instinct, furry little automata, has long been out of favor in the life sciences. For humanists to truly embrace the animal turn, then, we must overcome our urges to rank others according to their perceived worth, based on the wholly subjective criteria of the human. This will allow us to listen to animals on their own terms and let them persuade us of their agency.
Book Reviews by Alex C Parrish
Palgrave, 2021
The Sensory Modes of Animal Rhetorics: A Hoot in the Light presents the latest research in animal... more The Sensory Modes of Animal Rhetorics: A Hoot in the Light presents the latest research in animal perception and cognition in the context of rhetorical theory. Alex C. Parrish explores the science of animal signaling that shows human and nonhuman animals share similar rhetorical strategies—such as communicating to manipulate or persuade—which suggests the vast impact sensory modalities have on communication in nature. The book demonstrates new ways of seeing humans and how we have separated ourselves from, and subjectified, the animal rhetor. This type of cross-species study allows us to trace the origins of our own persuasive behaviors, providing a deeper and more inclusive history of rhetoric than ever before.
In recent years, humanists and social scientists have shown increasing interest in human-animal... more In recent years, humanists and social scientists have shown increasing interest in human-animal relations – to the point where many now speak of an ‘animal turn’ in the humanities and social sciences. Across history, psychology, anthropology, literature, sociology, philosophy, and law, an interdisciplinary field of human-animal studies has been forming. Certain common themes run through this diverse field, not least the reproduction of human-animal difference, and the conditions and the implications thereof.
Despite the long history of language use as a marker of such difference, the academic quest to investigate the boundary between human and nonhuman has, somewhat surprisingly, not taken root within rhetorical studies – at least not until now. For this edited volume, we therefore call for chapters that investigate the place of nonhuman animals in the purview of rhetorical theory; what it would mean to communicate beyond the human community; how rhetoric reveals our ‘brute roots.’ In other words, this book invites contributions which enlighten us about likely or possible implications of the animal turn within rhetorical studies. Would such a turn imply, for instance, that rhetoric needs a nonanthropocentric reconfiguration? The question, perhaps, is this: What difference would it make to the discipline if we assumed that nonhuman forms of communication were as interesting as human ones?
Rhetorical scholarship has for decades relied solely on culture to explain persuasive behavio... more Rhetorical scholarship has for decades relied solely on culture to explain persuasive behavior. While this focus allows for deep explorations of historical circumstance, it neglects the powerful effects of biology on rhetorical behavior – how our bodies and brains help shape and constrain rhetorical acts. Not only is the cultural model incomplete, but it tacitly endorses the fallacy of human exceptionalism. By introducing evolutionary biology into the study of rhetoric, this book serves as a model of a biocultural paradigm. Being mindful of biological and cultural influences allows for a deeper view of rhetoric, one that is aware of the ubiquity of persuasive behavior in nature. Human and nonhuman animals, and even some plants, persuade to survive - to live, love, and cooperate. That this broad spectrum of rhetorical behavior exists in the animal world demonstrates how much we can learn from evolutionary biology. By incorporating scholarship on animal signaling into the study of rhetoric, the author explores how communication has evolved, and how numerous different species of animals employ similar persuasive tactics in order to overcome similar problems. This cross-species study of rhetoric allows us to trace the origins of our own persuasive behaviors, providing us with a deeper history of rhetoric that transcends the written and the televised, and reveals the artifacts of our communicative past.
Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment
Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment
Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment
This article introduces emerging programs of study in the field of English (defined broadly) that... more This article introduces emerging programs of study in the field of English (defined broadly) that operate under an evolutionary paradigm. Emerging from the “crisis of the humanities” that became known to a wider public audience in the late 20th-century, literary Darwinism is examined as an alternative or addition to mainstream post-structuralist theory, to which some attribute blame for the decline of literature’s prestige. There are strong and weak forms of literary Darwinism in practice, ranging in approach from a complete paradigm shift to merely adding one more lens through which to read literature, film, and poetry in terms of both biology and culture. Rhetoric and composition scholarship is beginning to show interest in biocultural explanations for persuasive behavior as well. The nascent field of adaptive rhetoric combines the comparative study of human and nonhuman animal rhetorics with insight from evolutionary cognitive psychology, in order to gain further insight into the products of our evolved minds, such as rhetorical acts.
Argues for the study of human and nonhuman animal rhetorics under a biocultural paradigm.
There are striking similarities between the Ciceronian conception of ethos and the behavioral pat... more There are striking similarities between the Ciceronian conception of ethos and the behavioral patterns of some social animals. To track them could shed light on the contributions evolutionary pressures have made to humanity’s use of ethos in rhetoric. Efforts to establish a reputation for good character are common in the natural world, and this is reflected in Ciceronian rhetorical theory. Through conspicuous displays of altruism and the construction of a positive ethos, animals (including humans) secure benefits from one another, such as food sharing, mating rights, or even legal decisions. Often these advantages make a difference in an individual’s ability to survive and procreate. Thus those animals that secure the goodwill (benevolentiam conciliare) of their fellows are more likely to pass down their genes. Likewise, Cicero places great emphasis on the construction of ethos in oratory, and he employs conspicuous displays of his own when attempting to demonstrate his good character. By studying the underlying evolutionary motivations, we might better understand the importance of ethos in rhetorical situations.
Quietism's ubiquitous application to Epicureanism reveals the view of the majority of sc... more Quietism's ubiquitous application to Epicureanism reveals the view of the majority of scholars, but the Epicureans were not in practice inactive. Any school engaging in political debate cannot be quietistic in the standard sense (if we may call it standard--the term is ...
Writing professor Alex Parrish argues the importance of recognizing animal voices. He says that i... more Writing professor Alex Parrish argues the importance of recognizing animal voices. He says that if other animals are non-human persons, our relationship with them should change dramatically.
Several difficulties confront those who wish to expand the scope of rhetorical theory to include ... more Several difficulties confront those who wish to expand the scope of rhetorical theory to include nonhuman animal voices. The most pressing is that of overcoming anthropocentrism. Derrida attempted to address this problem toward the end of his career, wondering at the arrogance it takes to divide an entire kingdom of beings into two equal categories: the human and the rest of the animals. Not only does this gloss over the great abundance of species, but it also elevates humans to an artificially dominant status. Hierarchy is the spirit by which “man” is “goaded,” according to Kenneth Burke in his widely-cited “Definition of Man.” It is our desire to impose order on the natural world and our assumption that we should be on top that makes the creation – and the sometimes violent enforcement – of hierarchy appealing to human animals. But rhetoricians are aware of the dangers of hierarchy, at least when we attempt to create and enforce divisions based on differences between human bodies.
What is required to overcome the challenges of anthropocentrism and hierarchy is the recognition of animal voices and agency. In a humanistic tradition that has warmly embraced Bruno Latour’s use of a talking train to demonstrate how even artifacts can be agents in his explication of Actor Network Theory, it should be a very short step to allow truly animate beings the same courtesy. Yet the mere idea of animals having intentions, let alone the will to pursue goals that are not purely instinctual, is offensive to some. This point of view, that nonhuman animals are mere slaves to instinct, furry little automata, has long been out of favor in the life sciences. For humanists to truly embrace the animal turn, then, we must overcome our urges to rank others according to their perceived worth, based on the wholly subjective criteria of the human. This will allow us to listen to animals on their own terms and let them persuade us of their agency.