Supplementing the tropes: Poststructuralist discourse theory and rhetorical political analysis

Tools

Finlayson, Alan (2025) Supplementing the tropes: Poststructuralist discourse theory and rhetorical political analysis. Journal of Language and Politics, 24 (1). 50–68. ISSN 1569-2159

[thumbnail of Supplementing the Tropes - Final Formatted] Microsoft Word (OpenXML) (Supplementing the Tropes - Final Formatted) - Accepted Version
Download (70kB)

Abstract

This article explores the articulation of poststructuralist Discourse Theory (DT) with Rhetorical Political Analysis (RPA). Critical of the ways in which Ernesto Laclau’s ‘rhetorical turn’ reduces rhetoric to the tropes, and to catachresis in particular, I argue that tropes involve more than naming and that they must be understood and analysed as parts of larger argumentative propositions. Supportive of the general approach of DT I outline two rhetorical concepts, ‘enthymeme’ and ‘invention’ which can contribute to the critical analysis of the discursive terrain of politics. RPA, I argue, refocuses our attention on the forms of political agency and action which take place in specific and particular situations, in ways which are also of value to the formation of political strategies.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: laclau,catachresis,enthymeme,political discourse theory,rhetorical political analysis,history,sociology and political science,linguistics and language ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1200/1202
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Arts and Humanities > School of Politics, Philosophy and Area Studies
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Political, Social and International Studies
Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Policy & Politics
Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Cultural Politics, Communications & Media
Related URLs:
Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 03 Dec 2024 01:35
Last Modified: 29 Jan 2025 17:34
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/97870
DOI:

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item