Why Argument Matters
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- £15.99
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- £15.99
Publisher Description
An impassioned case for argument’s central role in human life, by one of America’s most distinguished cultural critics
“Perhaps more than any other commentary, Why Argument Matters illuminates the root causes of our partisan, venomous, irrational times—and yet somehow rescues from the morass the true nature of argument, its power and beauty.”—Michael Wolff, author of Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House
From Eve’s crafty exchange with the serpent, to Martin Luther King’s soaring, subtle ultimatums, to the throes of Twitter—argument’s drainpipe—the human desire to prevail with words has been not just a moral but an existential compulsion. In this dazzling reformulation of argument, renowned critic Lee Siegel portrays the true art of argument as much deeper and far more embracing than mere quarrel, dispute, or debate. It is the supreme expression of humanity’s longing for a better life, born of empathy and of care for the world and those who inhabit it. With wit, passion, and striking insights, Siegel plumbs the emotional and psychological sources of clashing words, weaving through his exploration the untold story of the role argument has played in societies throughout history. Each life, he maintains, is an argument for that particular way of living; every individual style of argument is also a case that is being made for that person’s right to argue. Argument is at the heart of the human experience, and language, at its most liberated and expressive, inexorably bends toward argument.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Critic Siegel (Against the Machine) offers an invigorating reflection on the nature and value of disagreement. Arguments are central to human imagination, he writes, and a "true argument" consists of two aspects: "an intense concern for the matter at hand that extends beyond merely winning or losing...and the ability to live the thoughts and emotions behind the counterargument." In Siegel's view, arguments are different from disputes, debates, and quarrels—they're "justifications for ways of living," and, "like art," are creative processes that take root when alone. He cites several surprising examples to prove his point: Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own and René Descartes's A Discourse on Method, both of which were conceived in solitude. Siegel also covers the rhetorical turns of Barack Obama's speeches and John Locke's thoughts on logic, and explores whether art is an argument in and of itself ("The proof that art is... lies in the degree to which a work of art gives rise to argument"). Whereas the concept of argumentation is often seen in terms of combat and victory, Siegel suggests, the "most relentless, intellectually merciless arguments are acts of caring about the world" because they are in service of working toward a better life. This sharp and taut outing is a lesson in a well-constructed argument itself.
