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Part of
Argumentation across Communities of Practice: Multi-disciplinary perspectives
Edited by Cornelia Ilie and Giuliana Garzone
[Argumentation in Context 10] 2017
► pp. 57–70

Chapter 3
Argumentative and non-argumentative rhetorical content

Two examples in same-sex marriage discourse

Following a conception of the rhetorical dimension of communication as a matter of its ability to induce beliefs and attitudes, this paper proposes an analysis of the rhetorical content of a piece of communication in terms of the perlocutionary effects that it can be expected to produce in its addressees. Following this view, a distinction is drawn between argumentative and non-argumentative rhetorical content, which is illustrated by considering some pieces of discourse about same-sex marriage. I argue that whether or not we deal with argumentation proper, we can find both types of rhetorical content in any type of communication.

Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Rhetorical content as perlocutionary content
  • 3.The speech-act of arguing
  • 4.Argumentative and non-argumetative rhetorical content
  • 5.Examples
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 2 November 2017
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/aic.10.04ber
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