Developing Ambient Methods for Ambient Rhetorics by Mark Evan Davis, B.A., M.A. A Dissertation In Technical Communication and Rhetoric Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved Dr. Greg Wilson Committee Chair Dr. Rich Rice Dr. Beau Pihlaja Dr. Mark Sheridan Dean of the Graduate School May, 2019 Copyright 2019 Mark Evan Davis Texas Tech University, Mark Evan Davis, May 2019 Acknowledgements Thank you to my committee chair, Dr. Greg Wilson, for all his knowledge, guidance, support, and wit throughout this academic journey. His unwavering patience and encouragement were anchors that steadied this project, as well as his rich insights and expertise which helped this project come to light. I am forever grateful to him for making all this possible. I would also like to thank Dr. Rich Rice for all his persistence, support, and help. From very early on he was there, sticking with me through various twists and turns before this project was even born. I am very grateful to him. I am also thankful to Dr. Beau Pihlaja for his willingness and commitment to join my committee. Additionally, I am grateful to Dr. Roxanne Aftanas and Dr. Kelli Prejean who were very early forerunners in my academic journey. Roxanne first introduced me to rhetoric as a field of study, and so I will always be appreciative of her influence, skillset, and overall support of me. To my parents, Jeff and Neena, I am truly thankful. Anything I have achieved or will achieve stands on their shoulders—it is a tribute to their loving support and exemplary qualities. To my beloved wife, Mariel, you have always stood by my side and have taught me things that far exceed my work here. I am indebted to your love and friendship forever. יְהֹוָה אֶהְ יֶה אֲשֶר אֶהְ יֶה And lastly, thanks to ַמ ִּ֤גיד ֵֵֽמֵר אש ית֙ ַאֲח ִ֔רית ּו מֶֶּ֖קֶדם ֲא ֶֶׁ֣שר לֹא־ַנֲעׂ֑שּו אֹמֵר֙ ֲעָצ ֶׁ֣תי ָתִ֔קּום ְוָכלֶ־חְפ ֶּ֖צי ֶאֱע ֵֶֽשה׃ יְר ֶַׁ֣את יְהֹוָה ֵר ֶׁ֣אשית ָׂ֑דַעת ָחְכ ָָ֥מה ּוּ֝ מּוסָָ֗ ר ֱא וי ָ֥לים ֵָֽבזּו׃ ii Texas Tech University, Mark Evan Davis, May 2019 Table of Contents Acknowledgements֙……………………………………………………………………….ii Abstract …………………………………………………………………………..……..viii List֙of֙Tables֙………………………………………………………………………….…ix List֙of֙Figures֙……………………………………………………………………….……x Chapter 1: Introduction (A Foundation for Ambience) ………...………..…….....…..1 Defining֙Ambience֙…………………………………………………..…….……..3 Voices Contributing to֙Ambience֙............………………………………..3 Rickert֙and֙Ambience֙……………………………………………………5 Wrapping Up and Moving Forward ………………………….…………..7 The Non-human turn in Rhetoric and Technical Communication֙……………….7 Rethinking Chōra and Kairos Within Ambience֙…………………….…………10 Chōra ……………………………………………………………………………11 Chōra and its Role in Scholarship ………………………...………….…11 Theoretical Approaches to Chōra ……………………………....……….12 Why is Chōra Ambient? ………………………………………...………14 Kairos ……………………………………………………………………………15 Kairos and its Role in Scholarship ………………………………………15 Theoretical Approaches to Kairos ………………………………..……..16 Why is Kairos Ambient? ………………………………………..…….…17 Tying Together and Moving Forward …………………………….……..17 New Materialism and Speculative Realism: Core Theories֙for֙Ambience֙……..18 New֙Materialism֙………...………………………………………………………19 What is New Materialism?֙……………………………………..………..19 New Materialist Scholarship: Core Concepts for֙Ambience֙...………….21 Embodiment ……………………………………………………..21 Diffractions ……………………………………………..……….22 Metamorphosis and֙Becoming֙………………………………….23 Why New Materialism is a Form of Ambience …………………..……..25 Speculative֙Realism֙…….……………………………………………………….28 iii Texas Tech University, Mark Evan Davis, May 2019 What is Speculative Realism? ……………………………………...……28 Speculative Realist Scholarship: Core Concepts for֙Ambience֙……..….29 Rift Between Object-to-Object Relations֙……………………….29 Rift Between an Object and֙its֙Qualities֙……………….……….30 Objects Withdraw֙……………………………………………….31 Causality is Aesthetic …………………………....………………32 The Necessity for Ambient Methods֙...………………………………………….34 Overview of Chapters ……………………………………………...……………36 Chapter 2: Literature Review: Ecology, System, and Network: An Invitation to Move Beyond …….……………………………………………………………………..38 Ecology …….……………………………………………………………………39 Ecology in Technical Communication and Rhetoric֙……………………39 Ecology’s֙Ontological֙Grounding֙…………………………...………….43 Why Ambience is More Than Ecology ………………………...……….46 System …...………………………………………………………………………48 System in Technical Communication and Rhetoric֙……………………..48 System’s֙Ontological֙Grounding֙……………………………….……….50 Why Ambience is More Than System ………………………….……….52 Network ...……………………………………………………………………….54 Network in Technical Communication and Rhetoric֙..…….….…...……54 Network’s֙Ontological֙Grounding֙……………………………...………56 Why Ambience is More Than Network֙…………………………………60 Conclusions: Moving Beyond Ecology, System, and Network: Towards Ambience ………………………………………….…………………………….62 Chapter 3: Thinking With and Beyond Bruno Latour to Trend Towards Ambience ………..……………………………………………………………………..֙64 Artifact of Study ………………………………………………………..……….64 But֙What֙Constitutes֙a֙“Moment”֙or֙“Occasion”֙for֙a֙Field?֙……...….67 How is TWBL arranged? ………………………………………...………68 How Will TWBL be Analyzed? ………………………………..………..69 Crafting Assemblages …………………………………………………..……….71 Chapter Overviews and Themes ……………………………………..….72 iv Texas Tech University, Mark Evan Davis, May 2019 What Latourian Concept Do These Themes Exemplify? Event ……..….74 Event …………………………………………………...………..74 Composing Assemblages …………………………………………..……………76 Chapter Overviews and Themes …………………………………..…….77 What Latourian Concept Do These Themes Exemplify? Impact …….…79 Impact ……………………………………………………..….…80 Convening Assemblages ……………………………………………….………..82 Chapter Overviews and Themes ………………………………..……….83 What Latourian Concept Do These Themes Exemplify? Aggregate ……86 Aggregate ………………………………………………………..86 Part-to-Whole ……………………………….……….…..86 Black box ………………………………………………..88 Conceiving Assemblages …………………………………………..……………89 Chapter Overviews and Themes ………………………………….……..90 What Latourian Concept Do These Themes Exemplify? Hybrids …..…֙94 Hybrids …………………………………………………….…….94 Natural/Artificial ………………………………………...95 Conclusion: What Does TWBL Reveal֙About֙the֙Field’s֙Ontology?֙..…………97 Reversing֙Latour’s֙Ontological֙Concepts:֙Trending֙Towards֙Ambience ….…..97 Chapter 4: Ambient Methods for Ambient Rhetorics ………………………..….…100 The Structure and Aim of the Chapter ………………………………..………..101 Situating Each Link in the Conceptual Mapping ……………………...……….105 Ambient Concept ………………………………………………...…….105 Ambient Method …………………………………………...…………..106 Rhetorical Figure ……………………………………..………………..108 Canon֙of֙“Ambient”֙Rhetoric֙……………………………...………….109 All Four Links Taken Together in the Conceptual Mapping …….…………….110 First Set of Ambient Conceptual Mappings ……………………………..……..110 Ambient Concept: Background ……………………….………….…….111 Ambient Method: Counterfactual …………………………..………….113 v Texas Tech University, Mark Evan Davis, May 2019 Practical Application: ………………………………….……….114 Rhetorical Device: Contrarium ……………………………..……….…116 Canon of Ambient Rhetoric: Delivery ………………………..…….….117 Second Set of Ambient Conceptual Mappings ………………………..……….118 Ambient Concept: Chōra ……………………………………...……….119 Ambient Method: Hyperbole ………………………………..…………120 Practical Application: …………………………………..………121 Rhetorical Figure: Auxesis ……………………………………………..123 Canon of Ambient Rhetoric: Memory ………………………………....124 Third Set of Ambient Conceptual Mappings ……………………………..……125 Ambient Concept: Style ……………………………………..…………125 Ambient Method: Simulation ………………………………………….127 Practical Application: ……………………….………………….129 Creating a Projection ……………………….…….…….131 Constructing a Context …………………………...........131 Composing a Parody ………………………………..….132 Rhetorical Figure: Similitudo ……………………………………..…....134 Canon of Ambient Rhetoric: Style ……………………………….…….134 Fourth Set of Ambient Conceptual Mappings …………………………..……..135 Ambient Concept: Kairos ……………………………………….……..136 Ambient Method: Accidental …………………………………….….…138 Practical Application ……………………………………...……139 Rhetorical Figure: Significatio …………………………………………142 Canon of Ambient Rhetoric: Arrangement …………………………….142 Conclusion: Four Ambient Methods …………………………………….……..144 Why Has the First Canon (Inventio) Been Excluded? …………………145 Moving Forward: Implications and Larger Applications ………...……145 Chapter 5: Putting the Humanities Back in the Posthumanities (but with a twist): Implications, Recommendations and Common Intersections …………………..…147 Introduction ……………………………………………………...……………..147 vi Texas Tech University, Mark Evan Davis, May 2019 Structure and Aim of the Chapter ………………………………………...……148 Part One: Implications and Recommendations …………………………….…..149 Persuasion as Both Non-human and Ambient …………………………149 First Recommendation: The Field Should Reinterpret Anthropocentrism Without Restricting Rhetoric …………………………………………..154 Second Recommendation: The Field Should Transition From Anti-Realist to Speculative Realist֙…………………………………………………..156 Third Recommendation: The Field Should Grant Finitude to All Things, Not Just the Human Mind ……………………………………….….….158 Part Two: Common Intersections ……………………………………..……….161 Ken֙Baake’s֙Metaphor֙Harmonics֙…………………………………….161 Victor֙Vitanza’s֙Third֙Sophistic֙…………………………...……….…165 From Negation to Excess …………………………...…….……166 From Polis to Pagus ………………………………….………..168 Conclusions and Final Appeal ………………………………….……………...170 References ……………………………………………………………………….…….173 Appendix: Table of Contents