The 20th Century, and in particular the post-WWII period, witnessed a renaissance within rhetorical studies. New theories were (and continue to be) promulgated in a quantity and with an audacity unprecedented in the history of rhetoric. Similarly, past theories of rhetoric received renewed attention. In this course we will study the major rhetorical theories of the 20th Century. In many ways this entails studying major theorists as much as it does theories. In this course we will read the major theorists of the past 100 years, examining their ideas in detail, and considering theoretical developments in dialogue with one another and in light of world events, in particular WWII and the rhetorical dilemmas that it forced theorists to confront. We will also examine the role of rhetoric within higher learning (the university). The course is strongly recommended for MA students in the Rhetoric and Composition concentration, and will deal with many of the texts that students are responsible for in the comprehensive exams.
Required Texts:
- The Rhetorical Tradition by Bizzell and Herzberg
- The New Rhetoric by Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca
- Rhetorical Power by Steven Mailloux
- A Rhetoric of Motives by Kenneth Burke
