Dr. Katherine HeenanEnglish 472Spring 2007January 23, 2007Wander, Philip C. "The Ideological Turn in Modern Criticism." Central States Speech Journal 34 (Spring 1983): 1-18.- landmark essay in rhetorical criticism- marks a turning point- critiques neo-Aristotelian criticismOn Ideology- refers to the critical study of texts- notes Napoleon’s view that ideology is contrasted with knowledge, and that ideologues were “mere intellectuals, impractical thinkers with subversive impulses” (108).- Marx—appropriated the term and used it to mean the ruling ideas of the ruling- Frankfurt school—noted Marxism can be exploited in defense of an established orderPurpose:- reconsider the work of Herbert Wichelns and Kenneth Burke- reexamine dispute which took place during war in Vietnam over the nature of criticism- respond to an effort, grounded in the work of Heidegger, to free criticism once and for all from ideological concernsWichelns and Burke- offered new approaches to criticism which included historical, social, and political contexts- however, Neo-Aristotelian criticism abandoned Wichelns’ focus just as Burkeanism abandoned Burke’s political focusNew Criticism - critic as reporter- recapitulation of text- apolitical, ahistorical, - see page 114 for problem with this type of criticismIdeological Critique - see page 121—similarities to present time- see page 122 for Wander’s def of ideological criticismWichelns - Wichelns’ 1925 essay “The Literary Criticisms of Oratory” claimed a new body of discourse (oratory) for lit crit and acknowledged a new type of criticism in Englishdepartments—public address- that is, he distinguished the study of oratory from work done by literary critics- commending the educational importance of studying the classics of American and English oratory- elevating Neo-Aristotelian criticisms- desire to cope with problems of public life- despite these in-roads, he left out many American and British speakers: women, African-Americans, members of the working class, labor leaders, etc- critiques Formalism in emphasis on fact that a full understanding of a text cannot be achieved without situating it in historical contextBurke- argued that an effective use of propaganda was as important as workers seizing control of the means of productionWander trying to reinvigorate rhetorical criticism by advocating the embrace of ideological