A rhetorical education for uncivil times - Inquiry’s role in teaching argument

Abstract

This article focuses on the role of inquiry in rhetorical education. It considers the critical importance of teaching students to craft compelling questions that function to propel and shape their thinking, writing, and eventually their arguments. It also explores how inquiry allows for a moment of hesitation and reflection in the rhetoric classroom so that students do not feel rushed to make an argument without first asking thoughtful questions and pursuing answers they may not have anticipated.