The Notion of Eikos Within Conspiracy Theories. A Rhetorical Analysis.
Abstract
Based on the analysis of one specific conspiracy theory, this paper will explore, from the rhetorical framework, the antic concept of likelihood [eikos]. Indeed, we believe that the rhetorical approach could allow us, on a larger scale, to (re)question, in the light of contemporary challenges, the complex relationship we have with the notions of rationality and truth. More precisely, to proceed with the rhetorical analysis, we will mobilise two types of logical reasoning: first, “the logic of the pot” argument from pragmatic logic and second, the logic of amplification and poetization of discourse. This will allow us to draw some comparisons between conspiracist speeches and, respectively, the rhetorical genres of judicial and epideictic discourses. The comparisons will be based on the criteria of likelihood, eikos, in order to propose a first definition of this notion in conspiracist discourses.
References
Aristotle, On Rhetoric. A Theory of Civic Discourse, translated with introduction, notes and appendices by Georges A. Kennedy, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2007.
Aristotle, Poetics, translation and commentary by Stephen Halliwell, Loeb Classical Library, London 1995.
Bronner, Gérald (2013), La démocratie des crédules, Presses Universitaires de France, Paris.
Cueille, Julien (2020), Le symptôme complotiste. Aux marges de la culture hypermoderne, Erès,Toulouse.
Danblon, Emmanuelle (2001), La rationalité du discours épidictique, in Dominicy Marc & Frédéric, Madeleine (2001), La mise en scène des valeurs. La rhétorique de l’éloge et du blâme, Delachaux & Niestlé, Lausanne, pp. 19-47.
Danblon, Emmanuelle (2004), Argumenter en démocratie, Editions Labor, Bruxelles.
Danblon, Emmanuelle (2009), «Sur le paradoxe de la preuve en rhétorique» inCommunications,Figures de la preuve, vol.84, pp. 9-20.
Danblon, Emmanuelle (2020), «Régimes de rationalité, post-vérité et conspirationnisme: a-t-on perdu le goût du vrai?», inArgumentation et Analyse du Discours, vol. 25, from: https://doi.org/10.4000/aad.4528
Danblon, Emmanuelle & Donckier de Donceel, Lucie (forthcoming), Espressione della parresia in una strategia cospirazionista. Il caso del processo del Museo ebraico in Belgio, in Di Piazza Salvatore & Spena Alessandro (eds.), Parole cattive. La libertà di espressione tra linguaggio, diritto e filosofia, Quotlibet, Macerata.
Detienne, Marcel (1967), Les Maîtres de vérité dans la Grèce archaïque, Maspero, Paris.
Donckier de Donceel, Lucie (forthcoming), Un gioco di «specchi rovesciati»: la figura dell’esperto in un discorso scientifico e in un discorso complottisa, in Ballaccomo Roberta, Gennaro Simona, Rosato Morena & Sunseri Francesca (eds.), Atti del convegno “Una risata non ci seppellirà», UniPa Press, Palermo.
Dominicy, Marc & Frédéric, Madeleine (2001), eds., La mise en scène des valeurs. La rhétorique de l’éloge et du blâme, Delachaux & Niestlé, Lausanne.
Dominicy, Marc (2010), Les sources cognitives de la théorie du complot. La causalité et les faits, in Danblon Emmanuelle & Loïc Nicolas, eds., Les rhétoriques de la conspirations, CNRS Editions, Paris.
Eggs, Ekkehard (1994), Grammaire du discours argumentatif. Le topique, le générique, le figuré, Editions Kimé, Paris.
Hougue, Clémetine(2021), Art du récit, figures et mythologie des fictions et discours complotistes, in Cetro Rosa & Sini Lorena, eds., Fake news, rumeurs, intox… Stratégies et visées discursives de la désinformation, L’Harmattan, Paris.
Klein, Olivier& Nea, Kenzo (2021), «Psychologie du complotisme à l’ère de la Covid-19», in Revue Nouvelle, vol. 1, pp. 9-12.
Pernot, Laurent (2016), Le chaudron percé de Sigmund Freud et l’argumentation judiciaire gréco-romaine, in Celentano Maria Silvana, Chiron Pierre & Mack, Peter, eds., Rhetorical Argumentation. Essays in Honour of Lucia Calboli Montefusco, OLMS, Hildesheim, pp. 363-374.
Piazza, Francesca (2008), La retorica di Aristotele. Introduzione alla lettura, Carocci, Roma.
Piazza, Francesca & Di Piazza, Salvatore (2012), eds.,Verità verosimili. L’eikos nel pensiero greco, Mimesis, Milano.
Serra, Mauro (2017), Retorica, argomentazione, democrazia. Per una filosofia politica del linguaggio, Aracne, Roma.
Vernant, Jean-Pierre (1974), ed., Divination et rationalité, Paris, Seuil.
Vigna, Carmelo (1992), Invito al pensiero di Aristotele, Mursia Editore,Milano.
Works published in RIFL are released under Creative Commons Licence:Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
