“The Ethic of Expediency: Classical Rhetoric, Technology, and the Holocaust” by Steven B. Katz
“The Ethic of Expediency: Classical Rhetoric, Technology, and the Holocaust” by
Steven B. Katz, was quite mind-blowing for me. This article opened my mind to things pertaining to
technical writing and the different motives, goals, and results of writing that I have not put much thought
into. Katz’s ability to implement the use of writing and how it correlates to ethic and expediency was quite
fascinating to me. When reading a piece of writing, readers don’t tend to think about the constraints authors
might have or experience when writing, however, Katz was able to bring that to the limelight.
Katz provided many supporting evidence in order to show readers that she not only did her research,
but to also provide examples of the very nature of the debate she was so engulfed in. Katz, at the
beginning of the article, showed how ethics correlated with expediency and instructional-writing in order to
get a point across. Although this writing was referring to the killing of women and children, it showed
different aspects of technical writing that Katz believed her audience needed to hear. Katz used a memo by
Just, Nicomachean Ethics, Politics, and Aristotle’s Rhetoric to support her claims and to offer readers
different aspects and point of views to her beliefs.
Katz is not in support of the writing shown at the beginning of the article, but used it to merely convey a
message. Katz agreed with the concise and logical document presented and felt it showed an impeccable
ability and fulfilled writing requirements. The question then would be if Katz could have gotten this
message across with a less devastating piece of writing or a more emotionally appealing example.
Another example might have thwarted the article’s main point regarding the emotional aspect of writing,
but would the article receive more receptive readers this way?
Katz believes that people should focus less on the length or directness of a piece of writing and include
more emotion and thought. Katz believed that this would serve to eliminate many of the problems in the
world. Writing with thought and from other people’s perspective is quite beneficial because it eliminates the
hateful noise and oftentimes unintended harm caused to others. Writing with thought and purpose is what
many lack especially when viewing the news, social media, and social sites.
technical writing and the different motives, goals, and results of writing that I have not put much thought
into. Katz’s ability to implement the use of writing and how it correlates to ethic and expediency was quite
fascinating to me. When reading a piece of writing, readers don’t tend to think about the constraints authors
might have or experience when writing, however, Katz was able to bring that to the limelight.
Katz provided many supporting evidence in order to show readers that she not only did her research,
but to also provide examples of the very nature of the debate she was so engulfed in. Katz, at the
beginning of the article, showed how ethics correlated with expediency and instructional-writing in order to
get a point across. Although this writing was referring to the killing of women and children, it showed
different aspects of technical writing that Katz believed her audience needed to hear. Katz used a memo by
Just, Nicomachean Ethics, Politics, and Aristotle’s Rhetoric to support her claims and to offer readers
different aspects and point of views to her beliefs.
Katz is not in support of the writing shown at the beginning of the article, but used it to merely convey a
message. Katz agreed with the concise and logical document presented and felt it showed an impeccable
ability and fulfilled writing requirements. The question then would be if Katz could have gotten this
message across with a less devastating piece of writing or a more emotionally appealing example.
Another example might have thwarted the article’s main point regarding the emotional aspect of writing,
but would the article receive more receptive readers this way?
Katz believes that people should focus less on the length or directness of a piece of writing and include
more emotion and thought. Katz believed that this would serve to eliminate many of the problems in the
world. Writing with thought and from other people’s perspective is quite beneficial because it eliminates the
hateful noise and oftentimes unintended harm caused to others. Writing with thought and purpose is what
many lack especially when viewing the news, social media, and social sites.
I'm glad Katz was illuminating. Steven Katz (a he) is a remarkable scholar. This piece is of course legendary for the boldness of its claims and the method Katz chooses for theorizing approaches to techincal communication (approaches we need to tend with greater care than the concern for expediency).
ReplyDeleteNote: When you are summarizing what an author has argued, try to avoid "thinks, feels, or believes" as verbs. Do you recall that we discussed this in the context of the Doc Project? Try to remember WHY I'm suggesting these choices.