The Rhetorical Shape of International Conflicts, Vol. 12 - 2005, No. 4

Rhetoric and International Relations: An Introduction

Philippe-Joseph Salazar, pages: 5-10[open access]

A rhetorical interpretation of international relations and conflicts necessitate to take into consideration three main aspects of what anthropologist Mauss called “international life” – cultural features that allow human groupings to argue with one another across borders. The first aspect concerns the instability of international glossaries to instrument diplomacy; the second aspect is the pre-conceived notion that peace, or non-conflicting “relation,” is a normal state for arguing among nations; the third aspect pertains to the belief that, owing to globalisation, the same modes of persuasion operate indiscriminately. The French Revolution provides an excellent illustration of all three aspects.

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