Burke (1966), "Terministic Screens"

1. Two approaches to studying language -- scientistic and dramatistic. These are not mutually exclusive.

A. Scientistic focuses on language's power to name and define. Something "is" or "is not," and what follows that proposition defines the thing. Scientistic approaches to language are concerned with symbolic logic.
For Burke, naming is "magic." He also calls naming "dancing attitudes."

B. Dramatistic focuses on language's urgings. Something "shall" or "shall not," and what follows is a direction to the thing. Dramatistic approaches to language target suasive potentials, and are usually associated with stories, advertisements, myths, and philosophies.

2. Language reflects, selects, and deflects reality.

The dramatistic approach is concerned with how language influences us. Burke (1966) argues that the suasive power of language is through terminology. Terministic screens are the sets of terminologies that frame an object's reality. Our choice of terms filters some meanings out and emphasizes others.

3. Terministic screens determine what we can understand, question, and think about reality.

Burke (1966) argues that our observations about our world come from the choice of terms we use. These terms define reality, which allows them to shape the production of future terminology choices.