The Persuasive Force of Demanding

Abstract

Demanding is a fundamental rhetorical strategy for marginalized groups, but recent rhetorical theories of demanding have not explained how speakers can design demands to influence addressees to accede. Psychoanalytic and decolonial theories have identified constitutive functions, but have not explained how speakers can design demands that pressure addressees to accede. Speech act theories have explained specific kinds of demands but have not synthesized insights into a model of demanding generally. We draw on normative pragmatic theory to argue that speakers design demands that generate persuasive force by openly making visible their intent to influence addressees to accede and bringing to bear a reciprocal obligation for themselves and addressees to live up to the norm of “right makes might.”