Hi, Terry,
Your note to Susan Hagan on the Greek models of proof is incorrect. You described four terms:
—snip—
Logic - logically structured analytical derivation of proof from previously
agreed axioms
Deontic - self-evident proof
Casuistic - proof on the basis of authority (proof from the bible)
Rhetoric - proof by manipulation of belief and emotion
—snip—
The last three terms in this list are not Greek models of proof.
Deontic arguments do not involve “self-evident proof.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word deontic as “of or relating to duty, obligation, etc.”
Your misunderstanding of the term “deontic” explains the odd comment you made in an earlier post. After telling a story rather than answer a question, you suggested that you would explain the story to me if I did not find it “deontically obvious.” While this specific comment puzzled me, I found the entire post so odd that I never answered.
At any rate, deontology is a branch of ethics. Deontic logic is a specialized logic involving entailments and the distinctions between what is permissible, optional, andimpermissible or necessary, contingent, and impossible. The word deontic comes from the Greek word “deon,” meaning “duty.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines deontology as “The science of duty; that branch of knowledge which deals with moral obligations; ethics.” Deontology examines how ethical systems require, permit, or forbid certain choices.
Casuistry is not a model of proof. The Greeks would have used the term sophistry for what wedescribe as casuistry. While a casuist may offer argument from authority orproof from the Bible, there are many form of casuist reasoning. By definition, casuistry involves specious reasoning. The OED defines casuistry as: “The science, art, or reasoning of the casuist; that part of Ethics which resolves cases of conscience, applying the general rules of religion and morality toparticular instances in which ‘circumstances alter cases’, or in which there appears to be a conflict of duties. Often (and perhaps originally) applied to a quibbling or evasive way of dealing with difficult cases of duty; sophistry.”
Rhetoric is not “proof by manipulation of belief and emotion.” In fact, rhetoric was never a model of proof in classical Greek thinking.
The OED defines rhetoric as, “The art of using language effectively so as to persuade or influence others, esp. the exploitation of figures of speech and other compositional techniques to this end; the study of principles and rules to be followed by a speaker or writer striving for eloquence, esp. as formulated by ancient Greek and Roman writers.” Rhetoric is an art of invention andpersuasion, but it is not a mode of logical proof. Rather, rhetoricians mayemploy logic among other means in their deployment of language to persuade.
Experts in classical rhetoric would be horrified by the notion that rhetoric is “proof by manipulation of belief and emotion.” The entire point of rhetorical studies in classical Greece was to adduce sound argument from evidence, and then to present it persuasively.
Susan has to be kidding when she describes herself as a “black box.” She earned her PhD at Carnegie Mellon University with a thesis on rhetoric. She also holds the NCTE Award for Best Article on Philosophy or Theory of Technical or Scientific Communication. When it comes to this aspect of philosophy and scientific communication, her expertise exceeds that of most folks on this list. She is a serious thinker and a skilled professional designer.
You’ll have to rise early in the day if you want to catch Susan Hagan napping. In this case, your corrections are incorrect.
Yours,
Ken
Professor Ken Friedman, PhD, DSc (hc), FDRS | University Distinguished Professor | Swinburne University of Technology | Melbourne, Australia | [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> | Phone +61 3 9214 6102 | http://www.swinburne.edu.au/design
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