RHETORIC CLASS PAGE 2005/2006

About Rhetoric

The word “rhetoric” has had a wide variety of connotations throughout history. In fact it still does, even in our enlightened age. Today we are familiar with the neutral or positive use, as in “rhetorical question,” but we also have the negative suggestion of “party rhetoric.” The debate over whether rhetoric is “just rhetoric,”or a respectable academic discipline/art goes back to the days of Plato and Aristotle. Plato equated rhetoric with sophistry; Aristotle saw it as the perfect antidote to sophistry.

But what is rhetoric, anyhow? Plato defines rhetoric as “the art of persuasion,” and then goes on to show it is no art at all. Aristotle, in response, insists that rhetoric is the art of finding the possible means of persuasion in reference to any given situation.

As you might have guessed, Aristotle’s is the operative definition for our course of study at Studium Discere. Throughout the year we will look at a broad array of types of communication, and we will focus on a theory that will apply to any situation in which the average person might need to be persuasive.

Our study of rhetoric will also be a survey of rhetorical theory, as it has developed in relation to specific historical circumstances. I will begin and end the year with an overview of current rhetorical theory (or a sampling, anyhow), and will sandwich in the middle a brief history of the theory of rhetoric. We will look at rhetoric in its golden age in Greece, and later, as it was in the late Roman empire; and finally, as it has been shaped by the church, by literature, and by technology. Many of the lessons of rhetoric seem to bridge the gap between beauty and truth, as they outline the principles that underlie aesthetic quality, and are overwhelmingly concerned with communicating a cogent and sound message. Rhetoric is the last stage of the classical Trivium and is, indeed, its capstone.

Because of its brevity this course can only be the beginning of a lifetime of application. The theory of rhetoric surveyed here must be practiced and good rhetoricians imitated to make the study truly worthwhile. In other words, this course ought to be the start of a lifelong pursuit of effective and beautiful communication – but it is only a start.

One final comment: It is a self-evident truth that Christians ought to place a high value on effective communication. The whole story of redemption itself is centered around revelation and communion. Revelation is the communication of God’s greatness and His mercy; in it we learn of truth and of beauty, and by what it has to teach us we are returned to communion with Him.

Assignments:

The new Power of Persuasion rhetoric textbook used in this class has assignments written in it already. The text is designed to be used in such a way that the student will do one chapter/lesson a week. Each chapter has three exercises--one theory, one imitation, and one practice.

Assignments are due before class:

1. 9/5 Read Chapter 1 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

2. 9/12 Read Chapter 2 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

3. 9/19 Read Chapter 3 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

4. 9/26 Read Chapter 4 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

5. 10/3 Read Chapter 5 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

6. 10/10 Read Chapter 6 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

7. 10/17 Read Chapter 7 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

8. 10/24 Read Chapter 8 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

FIRST TERM EXAM

9. 10/30 Read Chapter 9 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

10. 11/7 Read Chapter 10 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

11. 11/14 Read Chapter 11 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

Thanksgiving Week Holiday

12. 11/28 Read Chapter 12 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

13. 12/5 Read Chapter 13 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

14. 12/12 Read Chapter 14 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

Christmas Break--Three Weeks

15. 1/9 Read Chapter 15 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

16. 1/16 Read Chapter 16 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

17. 1/23 Read Chapter 17 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

18. 1/30 Read Chapter 18 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

19. 2/6 Read Chapter 19 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

20. 2/13 Read Chapter 20 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

21. 2/20 Read Chapter 21 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

22. 2/27 Read Chapter 22 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

23. 3/6 Read Chapter 23 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

Spring Break (no tutorials)

24. 3/20 Read Chapter 24 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

25. 3/27 Read Chapter 25 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

26. 4/3 Read Chapter 26 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

27. 4/10 Read Chapter 27 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

28. 4/17 Read Chapter 28 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

29. 4/24 Read Chapter 29 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

30. 5/1 Read Chapter 30 and do Exercises 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercises 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercises 3 (Tue/Wed)

31. 5/8 Read Chapter 31 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

32. 5/15 Read Chapter 32 and do Exercise 1 (Wed/Thur): do Exercise 2 (Fri/Mon): do Exercise 3 (Tue/Wed)

All evaluations will be completed and sent out as announced.

Recommended for reference:

Silva Rhetoricae--The Forest of Rhetoric. The online guide to the terms of classical and renaissance rhetoric. Extremely useful!

Aristotle's Rhetoric, translated by W. Rhys Robers, the hypertext online version. An older, but still useful, translation of Aristotle