The Scientist, Philosopher, and Rhetorician: The Three Dimensions of Technical Communication and Technology

• Published in: Journal of technical writing and communication Vol. 44; no. 4; pp. 359 - 380
• Main Author: Garrison, Kevin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-10-2014; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Academic Discourse; Certeau, Michel de; Constructivism (Learning); Feenberg, Andrew; Humanism; Pedagogy; Philosophers; Philosophy; Rhetoric; Scholarship; Scientific Research; Scientists; Technical communication; Technical Writing; Technological Literacy; Technology adoption; World Views
• ISSN: 0047-2816; 1541-3780
• DOI: 10.2190/TW.44.4.b

Technical communication's attempt to prioritize theories of scholarship and pedagogy has resulted in several authors contributing a three-dimensional framework to approach technology: the instrumental perspective, the critical humanist perspective, and the user-centered perspective [1–3]. This article traces connections between this framework for technical communication and the philosophies of Michel de Certeau [4] and Andrew Feenberg [5], suggesting that the primary connection is a turn toward “rhetoric” as a mediator between scientific and philosophical communication. The article concludes that the current paradigm for understanding technology can be best understood by exploring three conjoined, yet competing, mentalities between a scientific, philosophical, and rhetorical worldview. While this three-dimensional approach provides a strong foundation for technical communication pedagogy and scholarship, it should continue to be re-examined for potential anomalies as the field continues to develop an identity.