Bitzer & Vatz
by Isao Ayabe

Rhetorical Situation (Bitzer, Philosophy and Rhetoric, 1968)

I. Definition:
   "the context in which speakers or writers create rhetorical discourse (1)"
   "a natural context of persons, events, objects, relations, and an
    exigence which strongly invites utterance (5)"

II. Key concepts
-Three constituents of rhetorical situation
 1. Rhetorical exigence
    "an imperfection marked by urgency(6)"
    "(a)n exigence is rhetorical when it it capable of positive 
     modification when it is capable of positive modification and 
     positive modification requires discourse or can be assisted by 
     discourse (7)"
 2. Rhetorical audience
    "consists only of those persons who are capable of being influenced
     by discourse and being mediators of change (8)"
 3. Constraints
    "have the power to constrain decisions and action needed to modify 
     the exigence(8)"
-Fitting response
    "a response that fits the situation(10)

III. Vatz's criticism against Bitzer's rhetorical situation
     (Vatz, Philosophy and Rhetoric, 1973)

-Does rhetorical situation "emerge naturally" or is it "created by rhetors"?
 Vatz  ;"situations obtain their character from the rhetoric which surrounds
         them or create them (159)
-Meaning-context relationship
 Bitzer;"virtually no utterance is fully intelligible unless meaning-
         context are understood (3)"
 Vatz  ;"meaning is not discovered in situations, but created by 
         rhetors(157)"
-Is rhetorical situation determinate?
 Bitzer; Determinate:"it is the situation which calls for the discourse
         into existence (2)"
 Vatz  ; Indeterminate:"the very choice of what facts or events are 
         relevant is a matter of pure arbitration (157)"
-Exigence
 Bitzer; "exigence strongly invites utterance (5)"
 Vats  ; "utterance strongly invites exigence (159)"
-Fitting response
 Bitzer; "the situation controls the rhetorical response (6)"
 Vat   ; "the rhetoric controls the situational response (159)"