[ecrea] CfP: Radical Political Rhetoric

please find below a call for papers related to the London Conference in 
Critical Thought in June 2012. If you are interested in sending a paper 
proposal, please have a look here: 
http://londonconferenceincriticalthought.wordpress.com/propose-a-paper/

Deadline is 19 Feb 2012.

best

James Martin
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*Radical Political Rhetoric*

Coordinators: James Martin & Alan Finlayson

‘Political activity’, claims Jacques Rancière, ‘makes understood as 
discourse what was once only heard as noise’. Central to radical 
politics, then, are inventive rhetorical practices: mobilising critique, 
disrupting dominant forms of discourse and generating new forms of 
argumentation to win new audiences. But what are the contemporary 
sources for a radical political rhetoric? Who performs radical critique 
and how? In what respects does the current crisis demand inventive 
rhetoric and to whom should these arguments be directed? Should radical 
politics be conceived as an argumentative practice at all? Can 
occupations and demonstrations effectively persuade and mobilise 
opinion? When does protest stop being just ‘noise’?


We invite papers to explore the rhetorical styles and substance of 
radical politics. Proposed papers may cover (but are not limited to) the 
following topics:

· The philosophical sources, grounds and premises of radical rhetoric; 
their limitations and advantages

· The stylistic forms of argumentation and communication

· The audiences of radical political argument

· Practical examples of inventive forms of critique and persuasion

· Reflection on the rhetorical contexts and modalities of political critique

· The place of emotions and affect in political communication

· Democracy and rhetorical subjectivity

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Professor James Martin
Goldsmiths, University of London
Email: (j.martin /at/ gold.ac.uk) <mailto:(j.martin /at/ gold.ac.uk)>
Web: www.gold.ac.uk/politics/staff/martin/ 
<http://www.gold.ac.uk/politics/staff/martin/>