This course is intended to introduce you to “the study of oral and public discourse, the development of classical rhetoric, [and the] construction, dissemination, and reception of messages by audiences” (Hofstra Bulletin). As a foundation for us to build a definition of rhetoric together, I’m sharing the following premises that shape my understanding of rhetoric as a field of study:
- People create various discourses in response to their local and lived contexts;
- People can disagree with each other and often do so with reasons that feel very relevant to each individual;
- People create discourses because they want to affect some sort of change.
I ask you to keep these premises in mind as we move forward together to better understand the field of Rhetoric.
I’ve organized the course around the classical rhetorical concepts of invention, arrangement, style, and progymnasmata, or rhetorical exercises. Our textbook Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students, by Sharon Crowley and Debra Hawhee, organizes these concepts into accessible chapters, while I will offer contemporary examples beyond the textbook to connect ancient ideas to our everyday lives. I will also regularly invite you to bring examples of discourses that circulate in your lives into our class as representations of the concepts we learn.
Learning Goals
- Introduce students to classical rhetorical concepts;
- Explore how delivery of a message—oral, written, or otherwise—impacts meaning;
- Understand the relationships between messages and audiences;
- Practice developing persuasive communication that responds to a specific context.
Rhetoric 005 | History of Rhetoric | Fall 2019 