Rhetoric in the Time of Torture

Rhetoric in the Time of Torture explores the relationship between rhetoric and interrogational torture, challenging the distinction between persuasion and violence. It introduces compelling temporal logics related to imminence, surveillance, and prisoners' world-times and offers case studies to demonstrate the importance of recognizing torture's rhetorical and temporal dimensions.

Format: Hardback
Length: 152 pages
Publication date: 15 October 2023
Publisher: Lexington Books

In her groundbreaking work "Rhetoric in the Time of Torture," Laura A. Sparks delves deep into the intricate relationship between rhetoric and interrogational torture, challenging the blurred lines between persuasion and violence. Drawing upon the context of the United States' post-9/11 reliance on heavy interrogation techniques, Sparks offers a fresh perspective on the rhetorical and temporal dimensions of torture, emphasizing how these practices are intertwined with acts of violence. Through the introduction of compelling temporal logics such as imminence, surveillance, and prisoners' world-times, Sparks sheds light on how temporal concerns play a significant role in both justifications for and practices of torture.

Furthermore, this book provides a wealth of case studies, encompassing select torture memos, photographs from Abu Ghraib Detention Center, and opportunities for digital human rights advocacy, to illustrate the critical importance of recognizing the rhetorical and temporal dimensions of interrogational torture in our contemporary world. By examining these materials, readers are invited to contemplate the role of rhetoric in a society where individuals resort to torture to extract information from others.

"Rhetoric in the Time of Torture" is a seminal work that appeals to scholars of communication, rhetoric, and political science, offering valuable insights into the complex dynamics of power, language, and violence. Sparks' exploration of the intersection between rhetoric and torture sheds light on the ethical and moral dilemmas that arise in the context of interrogation, and her analysis provides a framework for understanding and critiquing these practices in the present day.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781666921809