Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction, Second Edition

✍ Scribed by Timothy Borchers, Heather Hundley

• Publisher: Waveland Press, Inc.
• Year: 2018
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 378
• Edition: 2
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

From the moment we begin to understand the meanings of words and symbols, we have used rhetoric. It is how we determine perceptions of who we are, those around us, and the social structure in which we operate. Rhetorical Theory, Second Edition introduces a broad selection of classical and contemporary theoretical approaches to understanding and using rhetoric. Historical context reveals why rhetorical theories were created, while present-day examples demonstrate how they relate to the world in which we live.

Borchers and Hundley present conceptual topics in a succinct and approachable manner. The text is organized topically rather than chronologically, so similarities and differences are easily detected in central ideas. Each chapter is enhanced by the inclusion of theorist biographies, applications of theory to practice, and Internet exercises. The Second Edition expands coverage on mediated rhetoric, feminist rhetoric, alternative rhetorical theories including Afrocentricity and intersectionality, cultural and critical rhetoric, and postmodern implications of rhetoric.

Not-for-sale instructor resource material available to college and university faculty only; contact publisher directly.

Also by Timothy Borchers and available from Waveland Press: Persuasion in the Media Age, 3/E (ISBN 9781577668268).

✦ Table of Contents

Title Page
Contents
Preface
Part I - The Nature of Rhetoric
Chapter 1 - Defining Rhetoric and Rhetorical Theory
Defining Rhetoric
Definitions of Rhetoric
Basic Terms
Rhetorical Criticism
Characteristics of Rhetoric
Rhetoric Is Symbolic
Rhetoric Involves an Audience
Rhetoric Establishes What Is Probably True
Rhetorical Theory Is Inventive and Analytic
Limits of Rhetoric
Rhetoric and Persuasion
Rhetoric and Intention
Rhetoric and Discourse
Rhetoric and Public Address
Rhetoric’s Substance
Influences on Rhetoric
Culture
Communication Technologies
A Brief History of Rhetorical Theory
Pragmatic-Dominant Rhetorical Theory
Aesthetic Rhetorical Theory
Pragmatic-Subordinate Rhetorical Theory
Social Rhetorical Theory
The Academic Study of Rhetoric in the United States
Outline of the Book
Summarizing Rhetorical Theory
Discussion Questions
Glossary Terms
Part II - Important Rhetorical Functions
Chapter 2 - Rhetoric as Persuasion
The Origins of Rhetoric
Characteristics of Classical Western Rhetoric
Oral Aspect
Persuasive Aspect
Public Aspect
The Major Theorists
The Sophists
Plato
Aristotle
Isocrates
Cicero
Quintilian
Conceptions of Rhetoric
Defining Rhetoric
Rhetoric’s Functions
Rhetoric and Dialectic
Rhetorical Education
The Five Canons of Rhetoric
Invention
Arrangement
Style
Delivery
Memory
Putting It All Together
Summarizing Classical Rhetoric
Discussion Questions
Glossary Terms
Chapter 3 - Style, Delivery, and Rhetorical Theory
The Second Sophistic
What Is the Sublime?
Sources of the Sublime
Christianization of Rhetoric
Discovering the Truth in Scripture
Preaching
Rhetoric in the Middle Ages
History
Medieval Arts
Humanism and Rhetorical Education
Belletristic Movement
Taste
Language
Style
Eloquence
Criticism
Elocutionary Movement
Natural versus Mechanical Elocution
Sheridan’s Theory of Elocution
Summarizing Style, Delivery, and Rhetorical Theory
Discussion Questions
Glossary Terms
Chapter 4 - Rhetoric, Science, and Argumentation
The Epistemologists
Scientific and Philosophic Discoveries
Relationship to the Belletristic and Elocutionary Movements
Psychology and Rhetoric
Major Contributions to Rhetorical Theory
Shaping a “New Rhetoric
”
Defining Rhetoric
The Role of Invention
Rhetoric and Argumentation
Richard Whately
Presumption and Burden of Proof
Refutation
Rhetorical Approaches to Argumentation
The Layout of Arguments
Substantive Arguments
Authoritative Arguments
Motivational Arguments
Chaim Perelman’s “New Rhetoric
”
Summarizing Rhetoric, Science, and Argumentation
Discussion Questions
Glossary Terms
Chapter 5 - Rhetoric and Media
Media Impact on Rhetoric
Defining Media
Overview of Technology as New Forms of Communicating
Oral Communication
Writing and Printing
Photography and Film
Radio and Television
The Internet
Media Research and Rhetoric
Electronic Eloquence
Personalization
Self-Disclosure
Conversational Tone
Verbal Distillation
Visual Dramatization
Semiotics
Visual Images and Rhetoric
Roland Barthes
Paul Messaris
Visual Arguments
Summarizing Rhetorical Theory and Media
Discussion Questions
Glossary Terms
Part III - Linguistic Reflexivity
Chapter 6 - Rhetoric and Meaning
The Cultural Milieu
Linguistic Reflexivity
Meaning
The Semantic Triangle
The Role of Context in Meaning
Avoiding Misunderstanding: General Semantics
Negative Premises
Maps
Extensional Devices
The Mind, Self, and Society
Mind
Self
Society
Broadening Conceptions of Meaning
Discursive and Presentational Rhetoric
Rhetoric and Oppression
Muted Group Theory
The Rhetoric of Childbirth
Sexual Harassment
Weaver: Meaning and Values
Dialectic and Rhetoric
Rhetoric and Knowledge
Types of Argument
Ultimate Terms
Rhetoric as Epistemic
Summarizing Rhetoric and Meaning
Discussion Questions
Glossary Terms
Chapter 7 - Dramatism
The Nature of Rhetoric
Symbol Use
Negative Symbols
Hierarchy
Perfection
Action and Motion
Identification
Rhetoric as Identification
Types of Identification
Framing Symbolic Experiences: The Pentad
Elements of the Pentad
Ratios
Applying the Pentad to Rhetoric
Redemption from Guilt
Tragic Redemption
An Example of Tragic Redemption
Comic Enlightenment
An Example of Comic Redemption
Narrative
Understanding the Narrative Paradigm
Symbolic Convergence Theory
Understanding Symbolic Convergence Theory
Applying Symbolic Convergence Theory
Summarizing Dramatistic Theory
Discussion Questions
Glossary Terms
Part IV - Rhetoric, Culture, and Power
Chapter 8 - Feminist Rhetorical Theories
Defining Sex, Gender, and Feminism
Sex and Gender
Feminism
A Short History of Women’s Rights Movements in the
U.S.
First Wave Feminism
Second Wave Feminism
Third Wave Feminism
Classifying Feminist Rhetoric
Inclusion
Reconceptualizing
Gender Diversity
Oppression and Liberation
The Public Rhetoric of Women
The Private Rhetoric of Women
Campbell and the Women's Liberation Movement
The Womanization of Rhetoric
Invitational Rhetoric
Defining Invitational Rhetoric
An Example of Invitational Rhetoric
Feminine Style
Gender Diversity Perspective
Rhetoric and Oppression/Liberation
Foreground
Background
Summarizing Feminist Rhetorical Theories
Discussion Questions
Glossary Terms
Chapter 9 - Alternative Rhetorical Theories
Culture-Centered Rhetorical Theory
Defining Culture
Rhetoric and Culture
Culture-Centered Criticism
Afrocentric Rhetorical Theories
Defining Rhetoric
Theorizing African Rhetoric
A Model of African Rhetoric
Components
Chinese Theories of Rhetoric
Chinese History and Culture
Defining Rhetoric
Major Theorists and Schools of Thought
Key Concepts in Chinese Rhetoric
Intersectionality and Rhetoric
Summarizing Alternative Rhetorical Theories
Discussion Questions
Glossary Terms
Chapter 10 - Critical Approaches to Rhetoric
Shifting Emphases in Rhetorical Theory
Cultural Influences and the Development of Critical Theory
Rhetoric and Marxism
Revising Marxist Theory
Critical Theory and Power
Knowledge, Rhetoric, and Power
Discursive Formations
Development of Discursive Formations
Application
Ideology
Critical Theory, Ideology, and Rhetoric
Ideographs
Critical Rhetoric
Defining Critical Rhetoric
Theoretical Aspects of Critical Rhetoric
Critical Rhetoric in Practice
Critical Rhetoric: An Example
Critical Approaches to Rhetorical Theory
The Critical Character
Critical Methodology
Concern with Power
Critical Intervention
Summarizing Critical Approaches to Rhetoric
Discussion Questions
Glossary Terms
Chapter 11 - Cultural Rhetorical Studies
Intersections of Critical Theory and Cultural Studies
What Is Cultural Studies?
Representation and Signification
Representation
Signification
Identity, Ethnicity, Class, and Gender
Articulation
Active Audiences
Encoding/Decoding
Subject Positions
Summarizing Cultural Studies
Relationship between Cultural Studies and Rhetorical Studies
Similarities
Differences
Merging Cultural Studies and Rhetorical Studies
Textuality
Using Both Rhetorical and Cultural Studies
Summarizing Cultural Rhetorical Studies
Discussion Questions
Glossary Terms
Chapter 12 - Postmodern Approaches to Rhetoric
What Is Postmodernism?
Postmodernism and Rhetoric
Oversaturation of Media and Consumer Culture
Reality
Identity as Fragmented Subjectivities
Politics
Rethinking Rhetoric in the Postmodern Age
Postcolonial Theory
The Future of Rhetorical Theory
Summarizing Postmodern Approaches to Rhetoric
Discussion Questions
Glossary Terms
References
Index