Rhetorical StudiesOverviewRhetoricThe study of ModelsThe Study of PracticeThe Study of TheoryCommunication TheoryRhetorical TheoryWhat is Rhetoric?Definitions ContinuedRhetoric’s Bad RapPowerPoint PresentationRhetorical StudiesEnglish 472Spring 2007Dr. Katherine HeenanOverview•a broad overview of rhetorical studies• texts that examine –what is rhetoric; –the historical roots of rhetoric; –the significance and purpose of rhetorical theory; –the relation between rhetoric and philosophy; –the relation between enlightenment and modernity; –and postmodernity.Rhetoric•a body of literature about –MODELS, –PRACTICE, and –THEORIESThe study of Models•speakers, •speeches, and •written discourseThe Study of Practice•communication production–Public discourse •Spoken•writtenThe Study of Theory•focus on our understandings of how discourse operates–historical personages, –Literature, and –social circumstancesCommunication Theory•social scientific point of viewRhetorical Theory•humanistic point of viewWhat is Rhetoric?•Rhetoric is the art of discovering all the available means of persuasion in any given case (Aristotle)•Wherever there is persuasion, there is rhetoric, and wherever there is rhetoric, there is meaning. (Bryant)Definitions Continued•Rhetoric is an instrumental use of language…. . . . Rhetoric is communication that attempts to coordinate social action. For this reason, rhetorical communication is explicitly pragmatic. Its goal is to influence human choices on specific matters that require immediate attention. (Hauser)•"Rhetoric is the art, practice, and study of human communication." (Andrea Lunsford)Rhetoric’s Bad Rap•it is empty talk•it is the ornamental use of overly fancy words•it is the linguistic substitute for action not taken•it primarily involves appearances rather than reality•it is primarily unethical•“Rhetoric is a complex discipline with a long history: It is less helpful to try to define it once and for all than to look at the many definitions it has accumulated over the years and to attempt to understand how each arose and how each still inhabits and shapes the field.” (Bizzell and
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