The idea of rhetoric as interpretive practice: A humanist's response to Gaonkar

Abstract

This response focuses on Gaonkar's binary contrast between the productive/performative function of classical rhetoric and the theoretical/interpretative function of contemporary rhetoric. The key to this distinction rests in what Gaonkar calls the “ideology of human agency” implicit in classical rhetoric. A close reading of his essay reveals that, in theory, Gaonkar does not eliminate this “ideology” but merely shifts it from the performer/producer to the interpreter. In practice, however, Gaonkar's reading of disciplinary history indicates a more satisfactory position—one that allows a more fluid relationship between production and interpretation.