Gage – An Adequate Epistemology for Composition: Classical and Modern Perspectives

Gage, John. “An Adequate Epistemology for Composition: Classical and Modern Perspectives.” Essays on Classical Rhetoric and Modern Discourse. Ed. Robert Conners, Lisa Ede, and Andrea Lunsford. Carbondale: Souther Illinois UP, 1984. 152-73. Print. (PN175 .E84 1984) Trajectory of article:  1) the implications for rhetoric of differing epistemologies; 2) demonstrate how particular epistemological assumptions undergird both classical rhetoric... Read More

Berlin – Richard Whately and Current-Traditional Rhetoric

Berlin, James. “Richard Whately and Current-Traditional Rhetoric.” College English 42  (1980): 10-17. Print. YES In this article Berlin argues that Whately was the primary force for shaping the teaching of writing during the 20th century. Relying on Richard Young, Berlin identified C-T rhetoric as the primary paradigm of writing instruction during the 20th century.  C-T places an emphasis on product, grammar, style, New Critical considerations... Read More

Longinus – On the Sublime (partial)

Longinus – On the Sublime Sublimity is the location of the mean by defining the extremes (xiii) Chapter 7 seems particularly important.  In this section Longinus discusses the relationship between rhetoric and moral worth and also notes that the sublime must stand the test of time.  Chapter 8 goes on to discuss how sublimity is caused: both from nature and from technique. Longinus notes that he is interested in how “sublimity” can be useful... Read More

Ettlich – Theories of Invention in Late 19th Century American Rhetoric

Ettlich, Ernest Earl.  “Theories of Invention in Late Nineteenth Century American Rhetoric.”  Western Speech Journal 30 (1966):  233-241. E. notes that the topic of rhetorical invention has long been problematic/contested.  E. observes that Ramus’ revision of the liberal arts curriculum during the 1500s was the most serious challenge to rhetorical invention (classically conceived) before the 19th century.  Ramus assumed that invention... Read More

Rhetorica ad Herennium

Pseudo-Ciceronian Rhetorica ad Herenium (paginations are from the Harry Caplan/Harvard UP edition 1964). The text dates from sometime in the 90s BCE.  The piece is one of the first to explain a Latin system of style; further, it was also responsible for the codification of argument into a standard format consisting of exordium (like the ‘hook’ – this section of the argument grabs the writers attention and connects them to a specific topic),... Read More