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This article presents a critical review of Ruth Amossy’ s Apologie de la polémique. At a time when polemics dominate the public sphere (COVID-19, US elections), we question the author’s optimism; for her, polemics have a considerable social usefulness, since they help to manage conflict through discourse rather than violence. This article first sketches the main outlines of the history of rhetoric since the Sophists, then reviews persuasion theory, before turning to Amossy’s approach: in particular, how polemics are conducted in different communication contexts, including written information, TV debates, and social media forums, and the conflict between reason and passion. Amossy considers that while polemical discourse has no time for rational argument, it makes it possible to transform the enemy into a mere opponent. In so doing, however, she does not consider how polemics may transform an opponent into an enemy.