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Modern Rhetoric in the American University. Quick Rundown for March 13 th. Berlin’s Breakdown. There are three players in the American Rhetoric scene: Classical (barely gets a showing), Romantic, and Common Sense Realism.
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Modern Rhetoric in the American University Quick Rundown for March 13th
Berlin’s Breakdown • There are three players in the American Rhetoric scene: • Classical (barely gets a showing), Romantic, and Common Sense Realism. • Much of American rhetorical philosophy of the 18th and 19th (and a goodly bit of the 20th) century is based on Common Sense Realism. This is an approach in direct opposition to Locke and Hume.
Locke (1632-1704) Prevailing Thoughts Locke Ideas come from experience. Experience comes from sensation. Then the mind reflects, and finally compares and combines into thinking– finally ending in abstract thought. • There is an internal truth (a la Plato…). • Experience and knowledge are passed onto us by philosophers. • We are taught how to think by teachers. EMPIRISM!!!!!!
Hume • Just because we assume association between events does not guarantee that they are related. • Even if we see patterns, we cannot assume that a pattern of action in the world is permanent. • Doubt is our only option. DOUBT!!!!!!!
Rhetorical implications… • If truth is centered in sensation and induction, rather than in knowledge and deduction, the aims of the rhetorician change– the goal changes from getting people to change their MINDS to getting them to EXPERIENCE in the same way as you.
Rationalism is great but… • This is messy because it makes us question lots of things like: • God • Our Senses • Reality • Causality Ick. This is super awkward.
Common Sense • Common Sense Realism and the Scots: This quote by Reid pretty much captures it: • "If there are certain principles, as I think there are, which the constitution of our nature leads us to believe, and which we are under a necessity to take for granted in the common concerns of life, without being able to give a reason for them--these are what we call the principles of common sense; and what is manifestly contrary to them, is what we call absurd."[1]
Campbell and Blair/Whatley Campbell’s Psychological—A theory of how rhetoric works. B&W Belletristic– a how to for students, especially writing. You can learn to move the faculties by looking at good examples of others doing it. Oratory is for popular assemblies, the bar or the pulpit. Talked about Genius and writing… might be where we get the idea that you must be naturally gifted to be a writer. Drafting is good… Invention is unneeded, since you already have observed something true to say. • World is both spiritual and material (clergy) • Based on the faculties of man including: • the understanding, the imagination, the passions, the judgment and the will. • Language– a way of taking what is in the mind and putting it in someone else's mind, is a tool. • Learning is through sensation, memory, and imagination.
Synthesis and Romantics • “The fully functioning individual constructs reality through synthesizing all of the faculties, the spiritual as well as the corporeal, in an act of creation…” (Berlin 10). • “The problem is to find a way of expressing through language what itself transcends language.” (Berlin 11) • Leads later to expressivism.
Questions we can consider… • What is the relationship of the WORD to the WORLD? • If we can assume some stuff is common sense, then what can we assume? • Do we need to learn invention? What is invention? • Do you see any of this in how you were taught to write or think that you do write? • What are the implications?
