Rhetoric of Evidence
Epistemic Models and Rhetorical Practice in Science, Education, and Culture
March 12-15, 2014
Conference held at: Curt und Heidemarie Engelhorn Palais
Hauptstraße 120, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
How can we convey knowledge in an evident way? Which verbal and visual methods can be used for evident presentation of knowledge? How do modern communication media, such as Powerpoint, influence opportunities to create evidence? Within which tradition does the struggle for evident presentations stand? What significance does evidence have in modern natural sciences, in the arts, and in everyday culture? Not only is evidence of rhetorical interest, it is also an important topic for other disciplines. The scope ranges from the ancient demand to use a vivid language by Aristotle, via the empiricism of Locke and Hume, to the current scientific models and simulations. The striving for clarity and logical evidence shapes the current approach to presentation in the natural sciences and influences business presentations as well as presentation in school or the humanities. Furthemore, evidence serves as a method of communicating information and emotion in mass media. Arts and literature can be understood as a struggle for evidence as well: these disciplines developed new strategies to achieve evidence. Thus, evidence can be seen as a culturally established presentation technique, which proves to be very effective. (more…)
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