Using Stasis Theory to Foster Critical, Collaborative Citizenship

1
Using Stasis Theory to Foster Critical,
Collaborative Citizenship
By Allen Brizee Ph.D. Student in Rhetoric and
Composition Purdue University
2
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A

• Introduction

• This presentation will cover
• Why we should use stasis in writing pedagogy
• Ancient origins, rhetorical value
• Contemporary exigence
• Critical thinking
• Better decision making
• Social construction and collaboration
• How we can use stasis to promote collaborative
  citizenship
• Overcoming the obstacles
• Semester plan and course materials

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Ancient Origins, Rhetorical Value
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A

• A survey of contemporary writing textbooks shows
• When rhetoric-based instruction is used, it is
  (mostly) handled effectively however
• Stasis is often not covered openly as a
  heuristic
• We often teach rhetoric in a zero sum game or
  win-lose manner
• This is a problem because
• Stasis is an important part of what the ancients
  considered rhetoric
• Stasis promotes critical thinking (rhetorical
  analysis) and better decision making (isolating
  the issue at hand)
• Stasis promotes social construction and
  collaboration (invention)
• Win-lose rhetoric is dangerous and
  counter-productive
• If we are to teach writing based in rhetoric to
  prepare students for critical citizenship, we
  need to include the stases

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Ancient Origins, Rhetorical Value
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A
All of the major rhetoricians worked with stasis
as a vital part of rhetoric and invention
Aristotle 384-322 BCE Elements of stases in
Rhetorica
Hermagoras 1st c. BCE The four rational questions
Theodorus of Gadara 33 BCE, Taught five stases at
Rhodes
Posidonius of Rhodes 135-50/1 BCEDivided stases
into things and words
Apollodorus of Pergamum 104-22 BCEDivided stases
into two areas facts, reflection
Cicero 106-43 BCE Clearly outlines stases in Book
1, On Invention
Hermogenes of Tarsus 170 CEWrote the most
thorough exposition, On Stases
Quintilian 35 CE-100 CE In Institutes of Oratory,
mirrors Ciceros stases except Procedure
Minucian, the Elder 2nd c. CE, Philosophic
rhetoric, not sophistic rhetoric of rival,
Hermogenes of Tarsus
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Ancient Origins, Rhetorical Value
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A
Hermogenes heuristic asks critical questions and
helps the invention process 1. Conjecture
(stasis stochasmos) - Is there an act to be
considered? 2. Definition (stasis horos) - How
can the act be defined? 3. Quality (stasis
poiotes) - How serious is the act? 4. Policy
(stasis metalepsis) - Should this act be
submitted to some formal procedure? (Crowley
and Hawhee 67)
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Ancient Origins, Rhetorical Value
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A
Hermogenes stasis also works as a forensic
heuristic for rhetorical analysis and for
isolating the issue at hand
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Contemporary Exigence
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A

• Why do we need stasis to foster collaborative
  citizenship?
• A number of fundamental issues we face are
  drifting into confrontational binaries
• Fundamentalism vs. liberal (Lockean) ideals
• Clash of Cultures aka radical Islam vs. the
  west (youre either with America, or youre with
  the terrorists, etc.)
• Because we often train students to use rhetoric
  to win an argument, they are not equipped to
  communicate collaboratively
• One of the most striking facts about modern
  political orders is that they lack
  institutionalized forums within which fundamental
  disagreements can be systematically explored and
  charted, let alone there being any attempt made
  to resolve them - Alasdair MacIntyre, Whose
  Justice? Which Rationality? from The New Social
  Theory Reader

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Contemporary Exigence
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A

• Fahnestock and Secor see three elements in stasis
  that address these types of destructive
  situations
• 1. The stases recursive nature
• 2. The stases complex process of reasoning
• 3. The stases logical hierarchy
• We can use the stases to help students work
  collaboratively to build knowledge and resolve
  problems
• Stasis works as a method of interaction between
  involved parties so that texts emerge as
  multi-sided, shared artifacts
• Stasis works to identify areas of contention so
  involved parties can try to find common ground in
  other stases
• Stasis works as a space to resolve conflict
  collaboratively

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Contemporary Exigence
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A

• Carter argues stasismakes rhetoric firmly
  dialogic, its goal is not the imposition of one
  position on an audience but a critical discussion
  among the participants (97)
• The stasiastic conflict is generative, creating
  an impetus for rhetorical action
• Stasis is a doctrine of inquiry
• Stasis provides a means of resolving the
  conflictan act of brining the members of a
  community to knowledge and resolving conflict

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Overcoming the Obstacles
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A
In order to use stasis in writing pedagogy, we
have to overcome (at least) two obstacles1.
The arresting nature of stasis, a forensic
heuristic honed by the litigious Romans for zero
sum game tournament settings2. Lack of
awareness about this seemingly complex systemTo
address these two issues, we must1. Shift
stasis theory from arresting to generative
heuristic (postmodern stasis) 2. Educate
instructors and students by integrating stasis
into semester structure, research, writing, and
problem solving
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Overcoming the Obstacles
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A

• Emphasize the Greek concepts of agôn (glory in
  the struggle) and aretê (excellence) rather than
  the Roman concept of athlios (glory only through
  victory)
• Our ideas of rhetoric tend to focus on winning
  the argument, aligning with the Roman idea of
  athlios, which emphasizes the prize, and hence
  the victor (Hawhee 186)
• Benefits
• Shifting our focus to the Greek idea of agôn and
  aretê focuses on collaboration and comprise
  rather than the win
• Rhetoric and stasis become processes for
  developing consensus rather than tools for total
  victory

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Overcoming the Obstacles
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A
Roman Idea of Stasis - Strategy for winning -
Arresting heuristic - Athlios
Greek Idea of Stasis - Strategy for
collaborative knowledge building -
Generative heuristic - Agôn and Aretê
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Semester Plan and Materials
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A

• To educate instructors and students, we should
  openly
• Integrate stasis into our semester structure
  (agôn and aretê)
• Integrate stasis into course research
  (exploratory and empirical)
• Integrate stasis into course writing
  (collaboration and invention)
• Integrate stasis into course problem solving
  (pro/con exercises)
• Integrates stasis into what Sullivan and Porter
  call praxis in Opening Spaces Writing
  Technologies and Critical Research Practices
  (1997)
• Theory-method-practice praxis

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Semester Plan and Materials
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A
15
Semester Plan and Materials
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A
16
Semester Plan and Materials
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A
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Conclusions
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A

• Writing is a personal and social act, and the
  pedagogy has adjusted to address the shift to
  rhetorical-based instruction
• However, an important part of what the ancients
  considered rhetoric - stasis - is missing from
  our courses. We should use stasis openly as a
  research, invention, writing, and problem solving
  heuristic to help rhetoric guide collaborative
  citizenship
• Stasis fosters critical thinking and better
  decision making skills, both areas of expertise
  needed by college graduates for civic engagement
• Stasis promotes collaborative, social
  construction of knowledge, thus increasing the
  likelihood of cooperation. This is important
  because we face a number of confrontational
  challenges political, cultural
• In order to use stasis in our courses, shift the
  heuristic from the Roman concept of athlios (zero
  sum game) to the Greek concepts of agôn and aretê
  (glory in the struggle and the gathering,
  productive strife, collaboration)
• Raise awareness of stasis education, research,
  writing, and problem solving

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Conclusions
Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A
Democracy will come into its own, for democracy
is a name for a life of free and enriching
communionit will have its consummation when free
social inquiry iswedded to the art of full and
moving communication. - John Dewey, The Public
and Its Problems, Search for the Great
Community Thank you for your time!
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Stasis Citizenship Introduction Ancient
Origins, Rhetorical Value Contemporary
Exigence Overcoming the Obstacles Semester Plan
and Materials Conclusions Q/A
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