COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course studies one of the oldest humanistic disciplines of western civilization, rhetoric. The humanities are distinguishable from natural or social sciences in their interest in the artifacts of human activity -- be they discourse, literature, philosophy, music, painting, sculpture, etc. -- as evidence of the interests, values, aesthetics, ethics of those who produced them. The history of rhetoric is particularly indicative of its humanistic origins because rhetoric is a practical art that has been shaped by the cultures teaching it and by the people who have used it. Furthermore, due to the real influence the practice of rhetoric has within a society, some of the greatest minds in western history have been compelled to write about it. The course is designed to compare those different viewpoints while surveying the overall development of rhetorical theory.

Clearly, the primary objective of the course is to provide an historical survey of the development of rhetorical theory in the western world. Secondary objectives, however, include acquiring some familiarity with specific rhetoricians and their views on rhetoric, as well as with the conceptual and technical problems that prompted the characteristic development of rhetoric in the classical, medieval, renaissance, modern, and contemporary periods. Finally, the course is designed to help students in understanding how philosophical questions about the nature of language and human communication are still important in today's technically mediated society.