Paul de Man and His Contemporaries

Session Submission Type: Panel Discussion

Abstract

Paul de Man has become one of the most controversial figures in the recent history of rhetoric, largely due to his associations with the theory that all discourse functions "tropologically." The papers on this panel suggest, however, that contemporary thinkers who influenced de Man's writings on rhetoric and tropes recognized other elements of discourse as well, and that de Man's own writings themselves indicate a more nuanced relationship to the rhetorical tradition. Lacan, Adorno, and de Man all seek to take account of the "tropological" element of discourse while simultaneously acknowledging other discursive limits to a pure "tropology."

Sub Unit

• American Society for the History of Rhetoric

Respondent

• Dilip P Gaonkar, Department of Communication Studies, Northwestern University

Session Organizer

• Matthew C Detar, Northwestern University