Response to Kenneth Burke

Reading Burke's initial, general definition of rhetoric one would think that he fathered the modern idea of the meaning of the term. Burke says that rhetoric is part of symbolic action because it coerces people to respond in a certain way by manipulating them with the symbols of language. "Rhetoric," he says, "is concerned with persuasion and identification" (191).
Burke maintains that societal order exists because of rhetoric, which is persuasive in that it allows individuals and groups to identify with one another. Identification, he specifies, is used as a means to an end, is fostered by a shared enemy, or is based on unconscious symbols (the use of pictures, emotions, and such associated with a position or ideology). It is true that identification produces division, since not all people will identify as one, but Burke suggests that rhetoric is the tool that overcomes this division by creating re-identification and unity.
And rhetoric is not confined to speech giving and politics; the scope of rhetoric is tremendously broad. It solves problems, has different styles, and helps form opinions and responses. The different styles of rhetoric are evident in the different forms that it takes. It could be conventional, following modern conventions of society and meeting expectations of peoples; it could be repetitive, saying the same thing in another way; and it could be progressive, directing the audience to certain conclusions. No matter the form, they all are responsible for producing the effects of rhetoric.
Because language is composed of symbols designed by man, language is action. Burke explains this principle through the term 'dramatism,' which is "a 'philosophy of language' that [he] uses to discover human motivation through analysis of drama" (197). Such analysis also reveals the situation, or motive, of the utilizer. Burke developed the pentad, five terms that must be identified in a rhetorical situation to determine the motive, including act, agent, agency, scene, and purpose. He is careful to clarify that purpose and motive are separate, motive being a broader term and largely unconscious.
A deeper study of Burke's philosophy reveals that it contains strong spiritual undertones. This is the point where I begin to question the soundness of the foundation behind his ideology and to wonder at his own motives.