Agony for Pleasure

The key to understanding Deborah Tannen's “Agonism in the Academy: Surviving Higher Learning's Argument Culture” lays in one's ability to understand a single word. Yes, you guessed it - the first one. The Free Dictionary defines 'agonism' as the contention for a prize, or otherwise a contest. In the context of the article however, agonism is defined as “ceremonial combat.” Tannen goes on to assert that agonism is the destructive element to progress and constructive dialogue. In the contemporary culture of academia, constructive dialogue is precisely what is missing. Each faction or group is so eager to defend their own views that they become impervious to the views of others. So, as the article goes, instead of pooling the resources of the entire academic community, each group is undermining the other. In this chain of events, the whole community is being torn apart in structure and content. Tannen labels this phenomena of vicious infighting between scholars as 'agonism'. It is a pervasive occurrence which has already become entrenched in the culture of academe. Yet, she believes that academe can and must leave agonism behind. In her article, she mentions the need for a free market of ideas. A marketplace where people are free to advertise their opinions, without fear of being shot down. A gathering for the like-minded. A place where people are able to polish their own ideas and augment them with those of others. 

Written for HUMW-011