Most writing is argument. Indeed it has been said frequently that all writing argues that we should believe something or do something. Some people dislike the word 'argument,' but it is a civilized word; we make arguments rather than war. We persuade people rather than beat them into submission.
--Richard Marius, A Writer's Companion 153 (1985).
2 comments:
If you say all writing is argument, then you completely ignore writing as an artform or as expression. And, while the idea of an argument is civilized I've know several people who are not so civilized when they come across people who believe differently. Some debates, in fact, are simply one person being "beat into submission" by another. And I dare say nothing is quite so earth shattering as to have something one has believed their entire lives proved wrong in an argument, no matter how civilized.
Ooooh, cool, a fun discussion. ;) The Marius guy said "most," so that would safely exclude something (whatever that is). Actually, I think I agree with him that all writing argues that we should believe something or do something. Every writer is going to approach his work with some presuppositions (even the artistic writer) that he implicitly invites his reader to adopt. Ideally, we could all argue and be kind about it and if we all followed the rules of logic eventually truth would inevitably win out and everyone would smile and say "eureka!" and agree and be happy with it. But you're right; it doesn't work that way.
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