“I remain skeptical about the existence of so-called visual arguments,” says Dr. Ralph H. Johnson, CRRAR Senior Research Fellow. Dr. Johnson who believes in the crucial role visual communication and visual media plays in the landscape of contemporary media, will nonetheless present the reasoning behind his disbelief in the existence of visual arguments, in a free public talk Wednesday, April 22.

In his talk, entitled “Not so fast: some skeptical reflections about “Visual Arguments” Dr. Johnson will argue that there are grounds that support such a skeptical view on visual arguments, while also pointing to what he believes are some of the weaknesses in the position of those who defend it.

Dr. Johnson will stress four weaknesses:

(A) conflationary tendency

(B) the broad use of the “hermeneutic wrench”

(C) the absence of appropriate criteria for the evaluation of the visual arguments

(D) the failure to meet the Hitchcock challenge.

This event is organized by the center of research in CRRAR, and is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., at CRRAR Seminar Room in Essex Hall, room 209.

All are welcome.