Point of View in Argument

Question: What is a strategy in argument?

Answer/Quote: “However, schemas devised by cognitive and developmental psychologists include a progression from egocentric, ethnocentric or sociocentric psychology to what Piaget termed ‘reciprocal’ thinking, which enables us to see things form others’ viewpoints when we can in fact learn something useful by doing so. Rhetcomp pedagogy applies this progression in approaches like Rogerian argument and Peter Elbow’s ‘believers and doubters,’ in which students are obliged to identify with their opponents’ viewpoint in spoken or written arguments, prior to critiquing it.” P. 537.

Comment: Identify with the opponent’s point of view before critiquing it. An interesting strategy. RayS.

Title: Review: Stanley Fish’s Tightrope Act.” D Lazere. College English (May 2009), 528-538.