As for the surrounding context, I couldn’t find all the information in the PDF. The article was written by Yo-Yo Ma, who is a famous cellist. Although he speaks in the usefulness in arts in science, he is not a scientist but an artist himself. The purpose of reading the text is for class. While I have an open mindset in most areas, I felt reading it I would (and did) have pushback, even as both a musician and in a STEM major. If I am being 100% honest I do not think I grasp the idea of what a rhetorical situation is just yet, but I can say that the entire purpose of the paper is to add arts to the sciences. The argument is that there is a disconnect between empathy and critical thinking and that the gap can be bridged by the addition of art.
Aggregator: News aggregator, software or a website that aggregates news from various sources. This was used to explain the Huffington Post.
Humanist: Philosophical and ethical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally prefers critical thinking and evidence (rationalism and empiricism) over the acceptance of dogma or superstition. This was used to explain the disconnect between the sciences and the arts.
Lascivious: (of a person, manner, or gesture) feeling or revealing an overt and often offensive sexual desire. This was used to explain dancers coming to Spain and being seen as lewd.
When you assess the rhetorical situation–at its most basic level–you assess the writer’s intent. Whom is the writer trying to persuade and what is the goal of their persuasion? It’s perfectly possible that a writer may try to persuade her audience of the validity of a question. Does that make sense?
It’s a GOOD thing that you push back against these texts. Ultimately, the goal of the class is that you gain the confidence (and ability) to write an academic paper that advances your own vision/platform inside the context of a larger conversation. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. You may agree with some things and disagree with other things. Your developing ability to work with others’ ideas in a critical, respectful and open manner can only aid you in future endeavors.