1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910807688103321

Autore

Combs Steven C. <1957->

Titolo

The Dao of rhetoric [[electronic resource] /] / Steven C. Combs

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Albany, : State University of New York Press, c2005

ISBN

0-7914-8405-X

1-4237-4359-8

Edizione

[1st ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (178 p.)

Collana

SUNY series in communication studies

Disciplina

808/.00951

Soggetti

Rhetoric

Rhetoric - China

Taoism

Motion pictures - Moral and ethical aspects

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. 155-161) and index.

Nota di contenuto

Intro -- The Dao of Rhetoric -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1. Culture, Text, and Context -- 2. Laozi and the Natural Way of Rhetoric -- 3. Zhuangzi and the Rhetoric of Evocation -- 4. Sunzi and the Rhetoric of Parsimony -- 5. Daoist Rhetorical Criticism -- 6. Is The Tao of Steve Really "The Way"? -- 7. Values East and West in Antz and A Bug's Life -- 8. Shrek as the Daoist Hero -- 9. The Future of the Past -- Notes -- References -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- R -- S -- T -- U -- W -- Y -- Z.

Sommario/riassunto

In the first book to systematically deal with Daoism (Taoism) from a rhetorical perspective, author Steven C. Combs advances the idea that the works of Daoist (Taoist) sages Laozi (Lao Tzu), Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu), and Sunzi (Sun Tzu) can be fused into a coherent rhetorical genre, which can then form a methodology for rhetorical criticism. This notion of Daoist rhetoric enables critics to examine discourse from new vantage points with novel processes and concepts that honor the creativity and complexity of human communication. Combs also critically examines four contemporary films—The Tao of Steve, A Bug's Life, Antz, and Shrek—to amplify rhetorical Daoism, to indicate clear differences between Western and Daoist values, and to offer fresh



perspectives on individuals and social action. The book argues that Daoism provides a lens for viewing limitations of current Western rhetorical theorizing, positioning Daoist rhetoric as a potent critical perspective in the contemporary, postmodern world.