So I taught a good class today in which I unveiled my prototype object-oriented rhetorical theory. I believe this theory allows nonhuman objects to communicate rhetorically in every meaningful sense of that word, without assuming they have a mind or anything. I know, it's weird isn't it?
But Graham Harman does a beautiful job in Tool-Being of showing how this computer I'm typing on, resting on this soft eyeless turtle toy, is “comprehending” the turtle in pretty much every meaningful way that I'm comprehending what I'm writing here. Really. So it makes sense that rhetoric would pertain to nonhuman objects. Why not?
Nonhuman entities have always played a role in rhetoric. Demosthenes used hills and pebbles to refine his delivery.
In other news, I posted a response to Fish, inspired by Joshua Landy.