What did he mean?

[Lozzer]

I went to college today to go sort out a Tutorial on my new time table. I had to visit the Tutors' area and so I did. Well I went up to the gentleman and did want I needed to do but then the tutor who inducted me interjected. He showed me a book he was reading and recommended it as it was rather interesting. it regarded how we construe and create history, that is to say it was philosophical. We had discussed some philosophy during my induction. Well he's now scanning and printing the introduction for me.

Besides that, he mentioned it covered rhetoric too. At that point my own tutor joined in on the conversation. The two of them concluded that rhetoric was an art in itself, but that's not what bothered me. My tutor ended with "Unfortunately, science is the new rhetoric."

What did he mean? I'm rather confused. I didn't really say anything because I felt out of my depth but it seemed to me that he was suggesting that science is purely persuasive based as opposed to dependant on evidence.

[klr]

I detect a whiff of postmodernism in the air.

And I don't like it.

[Lozzer]

What's that?

[klr]

What's that?

Postmodernism = shite

YMMV of course, but that seems to be the general consensus in these parts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism

What class is this anyway? Is it even within the remit of the tutor to be talking like this?

[Lozzer]

What's that?

Postmodernism = shite

YMMV of course, but that seems to be the general consensus in these parts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism

What class is this anyway? Is it even within the remit of the tutor to be talking like this?

I see,

I'm doing English Lit and English Language. Each course has its own tutor who pretty much tailors everything for you and gives you these 'tutorials' which include lectures on STDs, safety and drugs etc. He was just having a conversation

[Lozzer]

The wikipedia doesn't explain anything. Is post-modernism like some form of reactionary-ism?

[klr]

What's that?

Postmodernism = shite

YMMV of course, but that seems to be the general consensus in these parts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism

What class is this anyway? Is it even within the remit of the tutor to be talking like this?

I see,

I'm doing English Lit and English Language. Each course has its own tutor who pretty much tailors everything for you and gives you these 'tutorials' which include lectures on STDs, safety and drugs etc. He was just having a conversation

He may be getting his ideas from this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetoric_of_science

I'm still not sure how relevant it all is to your course though. I don't mind people being encouraged to think outside the confines if whatever is on the curriculum (in fact I encourage it), but I'm a bit uneasy about someone trying to "push" their POV on a new student, which seems to be the case here.

The wikipedia doesn't explain anything. Is post-modernism like some form of reactionary-ism?

That would be supremely appropriate - and ironic.

[Rum]

Rhetoric can be truthful. It is only in modern times that it has come to mean 'empty' words. Its origin is in public/political speaking way back with ancient Greek types and developing and winning arguments. I suspect that your tutors were trying to impress a noob and were actually talking horse manure. They probably *did* mean that science it led be 'empty' words or somethign like that. This is clearly crap. Science is science - the empirical testing of hypotheses.

[Lozzer]

What's that?

Postmodernism = shite

YMMV of course, but that seems to be the general consensus in these parts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism

What class is this anyway? Is it even within the remit of the tutor to be talking like this?

I see,

I'm doing English Lit and English Language. Each course has its own tutor who pretty much tailors everything for you and gives you these 'tutorials' which include lectures on STDs, safety and drugs etc. He was just having a conversation

He may be getting his ideas from this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetoric_of_science

I'm still not sure how relevant it all is to your course though. I don't mind people being encouraged to think outside the confines if whatever is on the curriculum (in fact I encourage it), but I'm a bit uneasy about someone trying to "push" their POV on a new student, which seems to be the case here.

The wikipedia doesn't explain anything. Is post-modernism like some form of reactionary-ism?

That would be supremely appropriate - and ironic.

Tutors are rather informal anyway. Can be quite a laugh sometimes too.

I don't understand the irony because I don't know what post-modernism is

[Lozzer]

Rhetoric can be truthful. It is only in modern times that it has come to mean 'empty' words. Its origin is in public/political speaking way back with ancient Greek types and developing and winning arguments. I suspect that your tutors were trying to impress a noob and were actually talking horse manure. They probably *did* mean that science it led be 'empty' words or somethign like that. This is clearly crap. Science is science - the empirical testing of hypotheses.

That's what I first thought

[Rum]

The wikipedia doesn't explain anything. Is post-modernism like some form of reactionary-ism?

Post modernism means any number of things depending on who you talk to, but essentially it says that rationalism - the rationalism of the enlightenment and of the 19th and 20th centuries only takes you so far and then it is OK to resort to woo again! Nonsense.

[klr]

Rhetoric can be truthful. It is only in modern times that it has come to mean 'empty' words. Its origin is in public/political speaking way back with ancient Greek types and developing and winning arguments. I suspect that your tutors were trying to impress a noob and were actually talking horse manure. They probably *did* mean that science it led be 'empty' words or somethign like that. This is clearly crap. Science is science - the empirical testing of hypotheses.

Agreed, but especially this bit. I also suspect a reactionary attitude to the cold, hard world of science ...

[Lozzer]

Well the one that recommended me a book was going to be my teacher in History of Art but it never happened

[Rum]

Well the one that recommended me a book was going to be my teacher in History of Art but it never happened

May I advise you to contemplate the following:- Your teachers almost certainly understand nothing.

[Lozzer]

Well the one that recommended me a book was going to be my teacher in History of Art but it never happened

May I advise you to contemplate the following:- Your teachers almost certainly understand nothing.

I beg to differ. They know allot, but allot of what they know isn't allot.