Rhetorical theory as heuristic and moral: A pedagogical justification

The essay reviews current conceptions of rhetorical theory which see it as following a social science model. Difficulties of accounting for rhetorical experience as described by Becker's mosaic model are also reviewed. Because rhetorical theory cannot be explained by social science models, and because of the problems raised by Becker's model, the essay proposes that rhetorical theory and its supporting criticism be regarded primarily as pedagogical, with students as its primary audience.