Sizing up the Antistrophos View of Pragmatics-Rhetoric Relationship

Abstract

This paper is an introduction to and comment on Liu & Zhu’s antistrophos view of pragmatics-rhetoric relationship. It unfolds why they choose “antistrophos” rather than “counterpart(s)” for the bilateral positing, holding that “counterpart” is not impossible for that end. Then the paper affirms the merit of their “antistrophos view”, capable of facilitating “reciprocal and reversible transformation” of pragmatics and rhetoric. In terms of the bilateral relations, this paper maintains the stance of radical pragmaticism of the complementarity camp. Finally we discuss the possibility of the disciplinary integration resulting in pragma-rhetoric.