Week 3 Blog Post

The assigned article this week, Osorio's "I Am #ActuallyAutistic, Hear Me Tweet", explored the concept of topoi as they related to the movement for "autistic-led autistic advocacy.” Prior to engaging with this article, I was unfamiliar with the concept of literary topos, which is a shame, as, after reading this article, I believe that topoi as a concept can serve quite a useful purpose in deconstructing the assumptions and critically examining the bases of various arguments, as well as in constructing effective arguments oneself.

That “ableist topoi can oppress” and “autist-topoi can liberate” suggests that regarding activism, it is vital that discussions being held are carried out within the framework of the proper topos. By extension, when confronting an issue and the rhetoric which may enable it, it is not enough to simply retort – one must also reframe. I especially liked the examination of the tweet about school posters. The use of enthymemes to force an audience to reevaluate the “commonsense assumptions that typically silence autistic people” and instead develop a position both more accurate and more helpful is one that I hope to replicate in my own writing. Furthermore, this understanding can clearly be applied the in the reverse situation – in many cases, those advocating against social progress will premise their arguments on unstated claims and the ability to recognize and rebut those claims is an invaluable skill to have.

Regarding the issue that I am focusing on – climate justice – this concept is similarly useful. The argument, for instance, that Earth is a resource that humanity needs to preserve and that there is utility in forms of production that do not harm them, while clearly well-intentioned, ultimately relies upon the premise that Earth is something for humans – especially those with control over production – to exploit, and that its value lies in its utility. By instead working with a premise such as that Earth does not belong solely to humans and that there is inherent value in nature, one could construct an argument more compelling and more insightful.