Polemic

Polemic (from Greek πολεμικός polemikós, hostile 'or πόλεμος polemos, war, strife ') refers to a usually sharp controversy in the context of political, literary or scientific discussions. The term has historically experienced a transformation, the original meaning of polemic was war art, a literary or scientific dispute, a scholarly feud.

Mark

Polemics is, to argue against a (certain others) view. The polemicist seeks not necessarily the consensus, but tries in the rhetorical contest his arguments to make a breakthrough ( see also eristics ). As a contrast, the apology is called, although of course such a ( literature relevant ) justification or defense speech can be quite polemical. The now rarely used word irenics is to be regarded as a further contrast term to polemics.

Features of polemics are often sharp and direct utterances, partly personal attacks. Occasional goal is the unmasking of an opponent in faith and controversy. Where appropriate, this also means - more or less - subtle accusation of opponents, but by no means the abandonment of objective arguments. In classical rhetoric, one speaks in such a case of the argumentatio ad hominem (that directed at the person arguing ). This means the exposure sites, the transfer of an opponent, with you, for example, his credibility, his reputation and possibly his total integrity doubts, by showing any inconsistencies of his remarks or his acts or omissions immediately to his publicly expressed attitudes and intentions.

Frequently working with the means of exaggeration, irony and sarcasm or made ​​use of the straw man argument.

Polemic as a theological discipline

In the German systematic theology was especially spoken in the 18th and 19th centuries within different systematization of theological task areas frequently coexist with the Christian apologetics by a field of activity or a discipline " polemic ", both in textbooks and other publications, as well as in the Department designations so since about 1783 in Bonn. Usually associated with the presentation of theological doctrinal differences partly meant, too, including objections to alternatives and the word use about today's talk of " controversial theology " interchangeably, but also intersects with topics and areas of responsibility that would otherwise obeyed even apologetic or today - but then usually more integrative than confrontational - fall of fundamental theology. Awareness deviation is the science determining that gives Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher in his proposal for the structure of theological science: apologetics directed "outward " polemics "inwards" to clean their own teaching shape.

Known polemicist

Known for their polemics were in the German language among other Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Arthur Schopenhauer, Heinrich Heine, Karl Marx and Kurt Tucholsky and Karl Kraus. Among contemporary German authors included performances by Eckhard Henscheid and Henryk M. Broder forth with polemics. As a well-known polemicist of postwar German politics are especially Herbert Wehner and Franz Josef Strauss to call. In the current political cabaret especially Georg Schramm engaged in a polemical sharpness that is reminiscent of Herbert Wehner.

As an outstanding English-speaking representative Ambrose Bierce, Jonathan Swift and Oscar Wilde apply. Well-known contemporary American polemicist are the film director and author Michael Moore and columnist Ann Coulter.