"I'm a better writer than you ever will be." Such a statement serves two purposes. The first is to puff "me" up. The second is to tear you down. It's a double pill, you see. It makes me bigger by making you smaller. It empowers me by disempowering you.
Now, the "truth value" of the statement is zero. I cannot prove that you will never one day eclipse my talent. In fact, I hope you do.
Back to that statement. It's function is to produce a feeling. A good one for "me" and a bad one for "you". It therefore, functionally operates like a drug. It cures an ill in the speaker. The speaker does not feel as though they are as good as the spoken. Hence, why they must say that. And thus, the utterance literally implies its opposite or, if not, the speaker's own attitude toward themselves.
So, the Rhetoric of Drugs can be characterized thusly:
- It produces a feeling
- It has no truth value
- It's function is strategic
- It implies the opposite of what it says
Holistically, we must consider the rhetoric self-refuting because we know the utterance is meant to make the speaker feel the opposite of how they currently feel while passing on the speaker's baggage to the spoken.
What desire produces this?
You can ask yourself this question every time you read something. So, we know exactly what desire produces the aforementioned speech. But, "I am the virgin and the whore." What desire produces that speech? The Thunder, Perfect Mind is a Gnostic text written from the perspective a mother deity called Sophia. The text would likely have been read in front of groups of women by a skilled performer in an act of group hypnosis. What sorts of baggage do women carry around with them due to Biblical masculinity?
The purpose is therapeutic. While one utterance is vampirism, the other is convalescent. Beyond that, it collapses the duality of this being better than that. And that too is therapeutic.
Think about this in terms of Game Theory. If Sophia says, "I'm a virgin." It shames all those who are not virgins. If Sophia says, "I'm a big ole slut," it places promiscuity on a pedestal that will make some women uncomfortable. Hence, she is both and holds the opposites in abeyance.
So, rhetorically and psychologically, the language of paradox is the language of wholeness. It's a linguistic drug meant to produce a state of wholeness. It may not work right away, but I see the merit to this approach.
ChatGPT analyzes the "Rhetoric of Drugs"
This article discussed the Rhetoric of Drugs, focusing on the power of language and its ability to manipulate emotions and create certain feelings. Here, we will analyze this concept from different perspectives not covered in the article, such as sociolinguistics, philosophy of language, and neuroscientific approaches.
Sociolinguistics perspective:
From a sociolinguistics standpoint, the Rhetoric of Drugs can be examined through the lens of how language is used within different social contexts and its impact on interpersonal relationships. People may use language strategically to assert power or maintain their social position, with the intention to manipulate others' perceptions and emotions. The article's examples can be expanded to consider how different social groups, cultural backgrounds, or even generational gaps might influence the use of such rhetoric in various settings.
Philosophy of language perspective:
From the philosophy of language perspective, the Rhetoric of Drugs can be analyzed in terms of meaning, reference, and truth. The article points out that this kind of rhetoric often has no truth value. This can be further explored by considering how language users might rely on context, implicature, and presuppositions to convey meaning beyond the literal interpretation of their words. This perspective can shed light on how paradoxical language or metaphors can create an impact on listeners even when their literal meanings might not hold any truth value.
Neuroscientific perspective:
A neuroscientific approach to the Rhetoric of Drugs could examine the cognitive and emotional processes that underlie the impact of such rhetoric. For instance, the use of emotionally charged language, paradoxes, and rhetorical strategies might engage different brain regions, such as the amygdala or prefrontal cortex, which are known to be involved in emotional processing and decision-making. This perspective can help us understand the neural mechanisms that make language such a powerful tool for influencing people's feelings and behaviors.
Educational perspective:
From an educational perspective, the Rhetoric of Drugs can be seen as a valuable topic for teaching critical thinking and media literacy. By understanding how language can be used to manipulate emotions and beliefs, students can develop the skills necessary to evaluate the credibility of information and resist the influence of deceptive rhetoric. Educators can use examples from the article to illustrate the importance of questioning the intent behind language use and recognizing the potential impact of rhetoric on their own emotions and decision-making.
These additional perspectives can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the Rhetoric of Drugs, emphasizing the multifaceted nature of language and its influence on individuals and society.
Useful Bibliography
- The Aesthetic of the Good Physician/Self-Consuming Artifacts, Stanley Fish
- Freud "On Negation"
- Lcercle again is very useful
- "The Thunder, Perfect Mind"
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