Abstract
In this essay we argue that the rhetoric of Foss, Waters, and Armada's recent work on " agentic orientation," as well as the rhetoric of the popular bestselling DVD and book The Secret, are typical of " magical voluntarism." Magical voluntarism is an idealist understanding of human agency in which a subject can fulfill her needs and desires by simple wish-fulfillment and the manipulation of symbols, irrelevant of structural constraint or material limitation. Embracing magical voluntarism, we argue, leads to narcissistic complacency, regressive infantilism, and elitist arrogance. A more materialist and dialectical understanding of agency is better.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 50-78 |
| Number of pages | 29 |
| Journal | Communication Theory |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 2010 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Language and Linguistics
- Communication
- Linguistics and Language