tuesday, january 10, 2012. “rhetoric, was, first and foremost, the art of persuasive speaking.”...
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Tuesday, January 10, 2012
WHAT IS RHETORIC?(AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE?)
“Rhetoric, was, first and foremost, the art of persuasive speaking.”
Bizzell and Herzberg (1-2)
WHAT IS RHETORIC?
“Rhetoric is rooted in an essential function of language itself, function that is wholly realistic
and continually born anew: the use of language as a symbolic means of inducing cooperation in beings that by nature respond to symbols.”
Kenneth Burke
WHAT IS RHETORIC?
Rhetoric is a primarily verbal, situationally contingent, epistemic art that is both
philosophical and practical and gives rise to potentially active texts.
William Covino and David Jolliffe,“What is Rhetoric?” (5)
WHAT IS RHETORIC?
“A rhetoric is a social invention. It arises out of a time and place, a peculiar social context,
establishing for a period the conditions that make a peculiar kind of communication possible.”
James Berlin, Writing Instruction in Nineteenth-Century
America 1
WHAT IS RHETORIC?
“Rhetoric selects, from the vast realm of human discourse, occasions for speaking and writing that
can be regarded as persuasive in intent.”
Bizzell and Herzberg (2)
WHAT IS RHETORIC?
Every rhetoric. . . has at its base a conception of reality, of human nature, and of language. In other terms, it is. . .a closed system defining what can, and cannot, be known; the nature of the knower;
the nature of the relationship between the knower, the known, and the audience; and the
nature of language.
James Berlin (Writing 2)
WHAT IS RHETORIC?
“Rhetoric is the study of misunderstandings and their remedies.”
I.A. RichardsThe Philosophy of Rhetoric
WHAT IS RHETORIC?
In this class, we’ll be exploring many
different theories of rhetoric in many
different time periods; however, there are four key
questions I’d like to ask of each primary text we encounter.
THE BIG FOUR
I call these “The Big Four.”
THE BIG FOUR
#1: How does this
theorist/thinker define “rhetoric”?
THE BIG FOUR
#2: What are the consequences of this definition?
THE BIG FOUR
#2: Specifically, what are the consequences of this definition for:a) Creators of Texts
(rhetors)b) “Readers” of Texts
(audiences)c) Locations of Texts
(situations)
THE BIG FOUR
#3: What is the relationship
between language and
knowledge (epistemology) in this definition?
THE BIG FOUR
#4: How might this definition be applied (or not) to
contemporary texts?
THE BIG FOUR
You’ll need to get familiar with The Big Four. Every time we encounter a new primary text, you should all be
prepared to answer these four questions.
THE BIG FOUR
The value in understanding rhetoric is to develop an
awareness of the theory behind the
production of effective,
rhetorically-aware texts. We do this in
order for us to become even more
self-aware and reflexive producers
ourselves.
KEY CONCEPTS
The best way to begin to understand
these rhetorical theories is by defining and
becoming familiar with those
rhetorical principles and key terms, and observing how they
work in practice.
KEY CONCEPTS
I’ll assign you all into groups of three or four.
Each group will receive a key
concept.
Each group will accomplish three
tasks:
ACTIVITY #1
1) Find the concept in our readings and
write a working definition in your
own words;
ACTIVITY #1
1) Find the concept in our readings and
write a working definition in your
own words;2) Connect the
concept to a modern text;
ACTIVITY #1
1) Find the concept in our readings and
write a working definition in your
own words;2) Connect the
concept to a modern text;
3) Draw an image to help remember
the concept.
ACTIVITY #1
Chapter 1: “An Introduction to
Rhetoric”
What is Rhetoric?
“A Few Definitions of Rhetoric” website
READINGS
Before we begin any discussion about any readings, we’ll take a couple moments to gather your thoughts about what you’ve read. This will help
guide and fuel our discussions.
Take a few minutes to write about your readings, you can write about:
*Your own experience reading the text (positive or negative or both);
*Something about the texts that was unclear, confusing or dense that you’d like to crowdsource to clarify;
*Something about the texts that you thought was interesting;
*Any other questions about the reading that you’d like to share with the class;
Then we’ll all share and discuss what you’ve written.
READINGS
Smith’s definition of rhetoric:
“Rhetoric is persuasive” (1).
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
Smith’s definition of rhetoric:
“Rhetoric is persuasive” (1).
“Rhetoric operates to influence behavior,
change attitudes, and articulate opinions” (1).
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
For Smith, rhetoric is one of three major types of
communication:
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
For Smith, rhetoric is one of three major types of
communication:
1) Informative Communication that “adds
to our knowledge”(1);
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
For Smith, rhetoric is one of three major types of
communication:
1) Informative Communication that “adds
to our knowledge”(1);
2) Entertaining Communication that “holds our attention and fascinates
our minds” (1);
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
For Smith, rhetoric is one of three major types of
communication:
1) Informative Communication that “adds
to our knowledge”(1);
2) Entertaining Communication that “holds our attention and fascinates
our minds” (1);
3)Rhetorical Communication that “goes beyond both by
attempting to persuade ourselves and others to change actions, beliefs,
attitudes, and/or opinions”(1).
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
What Rhetoric “does”:
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
What Rhetoric “does”:
1) Since it is “intrapersonal”, rhetoric helps us understand what we experience because we must convince ourselves that our experiences are
true” (2)
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
What Rhetoric “does”:
1) Since it is “intrapersonal”, rhetoric helps us understand what we experience because we must convince ourselves that our experiences are
true” (2)
2) Since it is intrapersonal, it is often “converted to
interpersonal persuasion”, since “the way we persuade
ourselves is the way we persuade others”(2).
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
What Rhetoric “does”:
3) It is epistemic—it works as “a way to come to know
things that cannot be known through other types of
discourse whether they be informative or entertaining” (2); it has a “making-known”
function;
4)It is epistemic—it “overcomes the limitations of other forms of discourse”
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
What Rhetoric “does”:
5) It “recognizes that word choice and the building of images play an important
role in gaining adherence to an idea, a policy or personal
commitment” [aka ‘style’](3); it also emphasizes how delivery of messages can influence their reception
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
So what’s so great about
rhetoric?
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
So what’s so great about
rhetoric?For Smith, rhetoric is important
because our world involves
some very important
phenomena:
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
1) The majority of decisions people make are “based on probable, not certain, truths”
(4)2)As human
beings, “we are decision-making
creatures capable of overruling our own instincts”(4).
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
3)The human mind does not
usually tolerate the unexplained,
thus rhetoric serves to
rationally order the disordered universe (4).
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
3)The human mind does not
usually tolerate the unexplained,
thus rhetoric serves to
rationally order the disordered universe (4).
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
“. . .in times when probability is emphasized,
rhetoric flourishes; in times when truth is “known,” rhetoric
is marginalized. . .whe
re humans have more ability to speak freely,
rhetorical theory flourishes. . .” (5)
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
A Situational Metatheory
Smith discusses the theory of Lloyd
Bitzer that emphasized rhetoric
as situational. Bitzer’s theory is
comprised of three parts:
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
A Situational Metatheory
1) Exigence
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
A Situational Metatheory
1) Exigence2) Constraints
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
A Situational Metatheory
1) Exigence2) Constraints
3)Audience
CHAPTER 1: “AN INTRODUCTION TO
RHETORIC”
A Situational Metatheory
Smith provides us with an example in the text,
but let’s get some practice analyzing
texts using this “situational
metatheory”…
Each group will explore in and around Williams Building, seeking out four kinds of “texts”:
ACTIVITY #2: RHETORICAL SITUATION SCAVENGER
HUNT
Each group will explore in and around Williams Building, seeking out four kinds of “texts”:
1) One with written words
2) One with spoken words
3) One with images
4) One architectural
ACTIVITY #2: RHETORICAL SITUATION SCAVENGER
HUNT
Each group will explore in and around Williams Building, seeking out four kinds of “texts”:
1) One with written words
2) One with spoken words
3) One with images
4) One architectural
For each of these texts, each group will consider the exigence for the text, the intended and/or unintended
audiences for the text, and any constraints you see for the text. We’ll all return and report on our findings.
ACTIVITY #2: RHETORICAL SITUATION SCAVENGER
HUNT
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
WHAT IS RHETORIC?(AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE?)
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