Kenneth Burke: A Sociology of Knowledge: Dramatism, Ideology, and Rhetoric

The American philosopher and literary critic Kenneth Burke was an "ideologist" (although he never called himself this, and added to that, he spent most of his life avoiding the Marxist term of ideology to describe human "systems" of ideas). Burke instead used the terms "orientation," "rationalization," "perspective," "critical perspective," "way of life," "critical mind-frame," "Weltanschauung," and "gestalt" to describe basically the main idea behind ideology: "a system of ideas, aiming at social or political action." The first definition of ideology that Burke lists in A Rhetoric of Motives (his only book to mention the term ideology directly) is "the study, development, criticism of ideas," which is exactly what Burke did for his entire philosophical life. Thus one could argue that the preeminent idea at the "center" of Burke's thought is the role and function of ideology in terms of human individual and socio-cultural development and communication. It is my purpose to critically locate and order the many divergent trails of ideology that Burke blazed in his major works in order to present, through his many models, a tangible theory of ideology.

Author: J. M. Beach
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 02/01/2012
Pages: 102
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.31lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.24d
ISBN: 9781470130008

About the Author
J. M. Beach is a lecturer at the University of Texas, San Antonio. He has advanced degrees in English, History, Philosophy, and Education. He has been a teacher and educational administrator for over fifteen years. Beach has taught many subjects in the Humanities to a broad range of students, from pre-school all the way to university, in public and private schools, in the U.S., South Korea, and China. Previously Beach was a Lecturer at Oregon State University, the University of California, and at several community colleges in Southern California and Central Texas. Beach's scholarly research focuses on several distinct, but interrelated subjects: The philosophy of knowledge, the science of culture and social institutions, the history and philosophy of education, and literature. Beach is also a published poet. Links to his books, articles, and conference papers can be found at his website at www.jmbeach.com. Follow his blogs at jmbeach.blogspot.com and 21stcenturycanon.blogspot.com

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