Berlin- Rhetoric and Ideology

In this essay, James Berlin discusses how ideology impacts rhetoric. Berlin divides the essay into three sections which represent the different forms of rhetoric. These forms include Cognitive rhetoric, Expressionistic rhetoric, and Social-Epistemic rhetoric. Each form of rhetoric is affected differently by ideology. The first form known as cognitive rhetoric. Cognitive rhetoric is a thinking process that has the end goal in mind always. It is a form of problem solving in which the writer is mainly concerned with recognizing the problem and finding a solution. Expressionistic rhetoric takes a different approach. This form of rhetoric is based on the author's experience. It is a sensory experience about what is real or what exists to the author. The rhetoric is the author's own personal genius. The power of this rhetoric is located in the author, text, and writing process. Social- Epistemic rhetoric is in a category on its own. This form of rhetoric exists through the individual's cognitive. Social-Epistemic focuses on the social community and how individuals are affected by the material world around them. The end goal/solution is only possible through a specific social group. Berlin explores these different forms of rhetoric to see how a writer/reader is affected by ideology.