Consider this . . . Week 6

Given this week's discussion of the dissoi logoi and its implications for contemporary public arguments, as well as our discussion of Matt Miller's New York Times 4 June 2005 column, "Is Persuasion Dead?", this week's blog prompt asks that each of you take up the same question posed by Miller:

"Is persuasion dead? And if so, does it matter?" (emphasis added).

This is, of course, an important question, both in the context of our work in this class, which explores rhetoric and forms of public argument, and in the wider social context of a participatory democracy and media culture that is comprised of an abundance of information and and its organizational 'niches'(ideological, social, and political enclaves) and public 'figures' vying for prominence. So, given the benefits and drawbacks of the dissoi logoi and the complexity of our contemporary discursive culture, what's your take? Are our efforts to inform, explore, convince, and inspire worth the trouble?