Abstract: Sometimes a subject may form beliefs based on the silence of a trusted source. This source might be either the subject itself, or another source he/she finds trustworthy in a certain domain. The main idea of the paper “Epistemology of Silence” written by Sanford Goldberg, from an epistemic point of view, is that both cases have similar significance. But how can a belief, based on the silence of a trusted source, be epistemically justified? What does it take for the process of silence-based beliefs to be reliable? What are the conditions for doxastic justification of silence-supported beliefs? These and many others interesting questions find their answers in the paper “Epistemology of Silence”. Here I will try to summarize the answers and to outline the most important ideas in Sanford Goldberg’s paper, and then to present three ideas I had while I was reading the paper for the first time. Not all of them are so closely related to the Goldberg’s text, which is why I chose to mention them after the main part of my assignment. My essay will consist of eight sections devoted to a brief outline of the main ideas in the paper “Epistemology of Silence”, plus one last section, divided into three subsections, which will present some of my thoughts inspired by Sanford Goldberg’s text.

Keywords: Goldberg, Patterson, Goldman, epistemology, silence-based belief, source, knowledge, coverage-reliability, information, truth-likeliness, memory preservation, doxastic justification, “strategy of indirection”, Galilei, information transmission, science, publicity

Rhetoric and Communications E-journal, Issue 3, March 2012,  http://rhetoric.bg/, ISSN 1314-4464

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Abstract: The standards discussed in this article affect the bibliographic description of the sources used by us when writing different texts with scientific orientation. This article points out to the fact that along with spelling, punctuation, and technical parameters for shaping a scientific text, it is extremely important that the standards for bibliographic citation are kept up. Most authors do not consider it, but these standards – understanding and application – are also a part of a higher level of linguistics which one researcher/ professor claims to have a good grasp of. Moreover, they are also a part of the mandatory standards of academic communication.

Keywords: text, rule, standard, reference, bibliography, academic communication

Rhetoric and Communications E-journal, Issue 3, March 2012,  http://rhetoric.bg/, ISSN 1314-4464

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Abstract:  The following article stresses the borders of an argumentation in terms of the paradigm- dialectical approach. A contrast is made between the rhetorical  approach of  becoming  reasoning techniques during the cogitation. The presented paradigm- dialectical approach is developed by Frans van Eemeren and  Rob Grootendorst  in the book “How to deal with debates (Argumentation, comunication and mistakes: paradigm- dialectical perspectives)”, University Press “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Sofia 2009. As a final aim I will present you the acquisition of more complete conception about the essence of the dispute which has in itself the goal, the type, the way and the subject of argumentation.

Keywords: despute, truth, paradigm- dialectical approach, rhetoric, reasoning techniques, types of argumentation, correct logical rules and conclusions, entimema

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Abstract: The current paper includes a survey on the basic models of distance education; the main features of the models are explained, as well as their applications in different universities. The focus is on the positive practices and the comparisions with the traditional educational systems.

Keywords:  distance education, models of distance education, communication.

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Abstract: Problems related to the classroom discipline are of great interest, at some point, and thus they become a focus in the research of fundamental and applied pedagogical studies. This article classifies the most common cases of disorders in the classroom discipline, based on the results from a contemporary research in this field. Some facts and myths concerning classroom discipline and its nature are discussed. Fundamental approaches towards discipline management, generated in 20^th century, are reviewed. The author attempts to outline the framework of an integrative approach, promoting discipline, based on the idea that communication processes and interactions in the classroom are to be managed by the means of well- developed social, and respectively, communication competences of the teacher.

Key words: discipline, classroommanagement, supportive andpositivecommunication

Rhetoric and Communications E-journal, Issue 3, March 2012,  http://rhetoric.bg/, ISSN 1314-4464

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Abstract: This is some extrapolation on the aspects of human transcendence into the World Wide Web and those of its aspects that discourage individuals from taking part in the global talk suggesting the further uselessness of the individual mind as a contributor to human experience and creativity on the basis of the inability of a single individual to rival the ubiquitous web. The main question here is the question of the existential motivation of human text as a field for creative performance. The incessant dialog of humanity needs its stories that feed metaphor; and metaphor in its turn is seen as the device for the recursive transcending of the individual into the spaces of shared mind work, where technology is both an aid and a border.   In other words, this essay is only the introduction to a study of the broader fields of hypertext for the functioning of rhetoric as the art of talking new worlds into being.

Keywords: human transcendence, World Wide Web, hypertext, rhetoric.

Rhetoric and Communications E-journal, Issue 3, March 2012,  http://rhetoric.bg/, ISSN 1314-4464

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Abstract: The article includes results of the rhetorical analysis of the ofDebatesoftheBulgarianParliament(40^th National Assembly, Seventh question time on 25 and 26 February, 2009). The survey is about the rhetorical argumentation, as well as the rhetorical figures. The accent is on theorator’s influence on the parliamentary audience.

Keywords: rhetoricalanalysis, parliamentary debates,question time, National Assembly.

Rhetoric and Communications E-journal, Issue 3, March 2012,  http://rhetoric.bg/, ISSN 1314-4464

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Abstract: The paper presents the author’s position on the dialogue between Tzar Simeon the Great and St. Kliment Ohridski.

Keywords: dialogue, Tzar Simeon the Great, St. Kliment Ohridski.

Rhetoric and Communications E-journal, Issue 3, March 2012,  http://rhetoric.bg/, ISSN 1314-4464

Abstract: The author discusses the main changes of the political rhetoric in Bulgaria after 1989: 1) What is the differentia specifica of the Bulgarian post-socialist transition? 2) How the Bulgarian ethnic model influences the political discourse? 3) How the established multiparty system and freedom of speech led to the contradictory language of the different opinions, the street tonality, vulgarity, pornography, but also of the liberal principle of the supremacy of the law? 4) Hate speech – product of the social change and the national mentality of the Bulgarians. 5) Radical negativism to the governing class. 6) Vulgarization and oversimplification of the speech –the bases of the prevailing populism. 7) Metaphors versus the “wooden language”. 8) Euphemistic speaking like a basis of politeness and political correctness; 9) The role of the silence in the political Rhetoric. 10) Devaluation of the democratic terminology and techniques for evasion.

Key words: political rhetoric, transition, freedom of speech, democracy, ethnic model, hate language, argumentation, ad hominem, ad baculum, ex silentio, euphemisms, disphemisms.

Rhetoric and Communications E-journal, Issue 3, March 2012,  http://rhetoric.bg/, ISSN 1314-4464