Proceeding of the 1993 Maxwell Colloquium, 1994, Pp. 113-120

There are two different theories about the nature of rhetoric: instrumental strategy and symbolic realignment. The former perspective assumes the existence of "rationality" and focuses on whether the rhetoric adopted by the specific individual or organization is a right means to achieve a distinctive end. The latter approach addresses the nature of "non-negotiable demands" and focuses on the essential meaning of rhetoric itself. To resolve the argument between these two theories, I explore the intrinsic property of revolutionary rhetoric through examining one document of the "Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine." After reviewing the context, critical events, actors, and key words of this document, I find the existence of dual nature of rhetoric and suggest a continuum perspective of seeing the rhetoric as both strategical reasoning and psychological satisfaction.

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