Rhetorical Machines: Writing, Code, and Computational Ethics

Rhetorical Machines is a landmark volume that explores the interconnected nature of technologies and rhetorical practice, arguing that computation is rife with the values of those who create it and has powerful ethical and moral implications. It features contributions from scholar-practitioners across the fields of rhetoric, computer science, and writing studies and calls for interdisciplinary understandings of human-machine interactions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 30 July 2019
Publisher: The University of Alabama Press

A groundbreaking work that delves into the intricate relationship between technologies and rhetorical practice, Rhetorical Machines offers a fresh perspective on the study of computational processes within the realm of digital rhetoric. While computational code is often perceived as value-neutral and mechanical, this volume uncovers the underlying persuasive mechanisms that this code employs. By demonstrating that computation is inherently shaped by the values of its creators, it raises profound ethical and moral considerations. Spanning from Socrates' critique of writing in Plato's Phaedrus to the emerging dynamics of new media and internet culture, the scholars assembled herein provide valuable insights into how computation and rhetoric collaborate to shape social and cultural outcomes.

This multidisciplinary volume features contributions from esteemed scholar-practitioners across the fields of rhetoric, computer science, and writing studies. It is structured into four main sections: Emergent Machines explores the framing and entanglement of technologies and algorithms in rhetorical processes; Operational Codes delves into the utilization of computational processes to achieve rhetorical ends; Ethical Decisions and Moral Protocols examines the ethical implications of software design and its impact on computational culture; and the final section includes two scholars' responses to the preceding chapters. To enhance the reader's understanding, three of the sections are preceded by brief conversations with chatbots, autonomous computational agents, addressing some of the central questions raised in each section.

At the core of these essays lies a fervent call for both emerging and established scholars from diverse fields to foster interdisciplinary understanding of human-machine interactions. Rhetorical Machines stands as a pioneering effort in this domain, poised to revolutionize our understanding of the complex interplay between technology and rhetoric. Its innovative insights and thought-provoking arguments will undoubtedly inspire scholars and practitioners alike to explore new frontiers in the field.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780817359546