The Social False Dilemma: Perpetuating Conflicts between Liberals and Conservatives

This essay addresses the establishment of a social false dilemma in the form of the socially-constructed categories of liberals and conservatives. The illogical positioning of only two options for solving a problem reduces an audience’s ability for developing creative solutions. The dichotomous nat...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Brent Kice
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Polskie Towarzystwo Retoryczne/ Polish Rhetoric Society 2019-03-01
Series:Res Rhetorica
Online Access:http://resrhetorica.com/index.php/RR/article/view/337
Description
Summary:This essay addresses the establishment of a social false dilemma in the form of the socially-constructed categories of liberals and conservatives. The illogical positioning of only two options for solving a problem reduces an audience’s ability for developing creative solutions. The dichotomous nature of this political positioning undercuts critical thought through politicians’ usage of entrenched either-or thinking. In turn, the people struggle with a deliberative process that is underscored by an acceptance of a false dilemma. In particular, this essay focuses on an American dichotomous political climate by acknowledging the existence of the dichotomy, the promotion of Dissoi Logoi to avoid the false dilemma, and the repercussions of compromised deliberative functions of democracy.
ISSN:2392-3113