Katz, S. B. (1992). The ethic of expediency: classical rhetoric, technology, and the holocaust. College English, 54(3), (pp. 255-275).

In Steven B. Katz’s (1992) article, “The Ethic of Expediency: Classical Rhetoric, Technology, and the Holocaust” he illustrated that “much of Hitler’s ethical and political program is also directly or indirectly based on the ethic of expediency first treated by Aristotle, and is thus amenable to analysis from an Aristotelian point of view” (p. 259). Katz analyzed the ethical problem in rhetoric, the possibility of being too technical and too logical, utilized Aristotle’s theory on rhetoric to support his claims, the deliberative discourse of the holocaust memo was based on the ethic of expediency, the issue of objectivity in technical writing, the majority of technical communication is deliberative, the appearance of Hitler’s attempt to be ethical in his technical execution of his program, the use of science and technology as a basis for a powerful ethical argument, the technological ethos used to create a powerful Nazi rhetoric of propaganda, and the final problem of the expediency in technological capitalism. Katz’s purpose was to propose the solution of “recognizing the essentially ethical character of all rhetoric, including our writing theory, pedagogy, and practice, and the role that expediency plays in rhetoric” (p. 272). Katz’s intended audience was individuals who practice in writing theory and instructors that may not be aware of their ethical responsibility in technical communication. Katz demonstrated a clear understanding of both Aristotle’s theories and Hitler’s programs, but he seemed to be digging himself into an ethical hole throughout the article.