Rhetorical rudeness. For a rhetorical approach to (im)politeness
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to show the advantages of a rhetorical approach to impoliteness. The two main advantages of this approach are: 1. considering language not as an autonomous object but as an intrinsically social activity closely intertwined with all other human activities and, 2. considering the agonistic and conflictual dimension not as a borderline case but as an internal trait of discursive practices. Thanks to these advantages, the rhetorical approach escapes the main criticisms directed at the classical approach to (im)politeness and allows us to look at linguistic exchanges as dynamic and inherently relational processes. Against this background, the paper is structured as follows: the first step is to clarify what I mean by a rhetorical approach; secondly, I show what the main consequences of this approach are; and, finally, for what reasons it can be fruitful for a different framing of impoliteness.
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