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  • Editor’s note

annual special issue

Jacques Rancière’s interrogation of the intersection between philosophy and politics has ramifications for rhetoric. Philosophy & Rhetoric has published two articles in the recent past dealing with Rancière’s work and has had a number of other submissions, either in whole or part, concerned with his thought. His political philosophy’s aversion to fixity emphasizes notes that are resonant with rhetoric’s inclination toward a politics and a polity attuned to contingencies. He envisions societies as inherently self-correcting, marked by division and unification, requiring a stance of impartiality to understand their motions, and recognition that recurring divisions that rip apart what is are essential to achieve equality. Moreover, Rancière’s recent work has focused on such themes as the nature of human rights, the aesthetic in civic life, and the relation between what is said and identity/inclusion. These concerns share much in common with an understanding of social and political relations moving forefront in rhetorical theory. In this context of P&R’s and Rancière’s interrogation of philosophy’s intersection with rhetoric, my colleague, Michaele Ferguson, brought to my attention a panel of conference papers on Rancière she thought might be of interest to the Journal. As we discussed its prospects, I asked whether I could up the ante to devoting our annual special issue to Rancière’s work and rhetoric, with her as guest editor. To my delight she agreed to take it on. This volume is the culmination of her editorial and scholarly acumen. I am delighted to have these essays appear in Philosophy & Rhetoric and most appreciative of Prof. Ferguson’s care in assembling this volume. I am certain it will generate conversation that goes to the heart of the Journal’s concerns and become a valuable resource to help us think through the question of rhetoric’s possibilities under current conditions. [End Page i]

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