RHETORIC, SCIENCE,

A N D A R G U M E N TATI O N
ENG 211: RHETORIC
T U E S D AY J A N U A R Y 2 6 2 0 1 6

TEACHING DEMOS
BY FACULTY CANDIDATES
Thursday 1/28: G Patterson: Specialist in Rhetoric and
Gender/Sexuality Studies. Specialized in Gender Identity and
Rhetoric.
Dr. Patterson has asked that you do a short reading
assignment. I will distribute it at the end of class.

Tuesday 2/2: Mark Bernard: Specialist in Film and Mass Media. Broad
Teaching Background. Researches Horror Films.
2/4: Mariana Grohowski: Specialist in Rhetoric and Composition
Studies. Researches Military Veterans and Rhetoric & Writing.

THE EPISTEMOLOGISTS
The Epistemologists relied on the scientific method and induction to create
knowledge about humans and their world.
The Epistemologists had much in common with the belletristic and elocutionary
movements from Chapter 3.
Advances in knowledge about human psychology influenced how the
Epistemologists studied rhetoric.
Though scientific and philosophical in their overall orientation, the
Epistemologists made several important observations regarding rhetoric.
The Epistemologists favored inductive over deductive reasoning.
Francis Bacon observed four fallacies of reasoning.
The Epistemologists favored a clear and simple style of rhetoric to clearly
communicate scientific discoveries.

BACONS FOUR FALLACIES

The Idols of the Tribe: inherent limitations in the nature of humans to reason and
attain knowledge.
For example, voters cannot master the whole breadth of political issues and
cannot make a fully informed choice on election day.
The Idols of Cave: the ways individual traits prevent knowledge
we all have some biases, prejudices, or limited understandings. We often
react to wedge issues with emotion and not clear logic.
The Idols of the Marketplace: there are inherent limits in language that limit
clear communication.
The Idols of the Theater: there are limits in philosophy and theory which limit
our awareness of experiential learning.
Many Americans are taught that we only have two political parties. This
limits our openness to learning about or even recognizing the validity of third
parties.

GEORGE CAMPBELL:
THE PHILOSOPHY OF RHETORIC
Campbells definition of rhetoric was broad.
Campbell identified four goals of rhetoric.
Rhetoric can enlighten the understanding.
Rhetoric can please the imagination.
Rhetoric can move the passions.
Rhetoric can influence the will.

Campbells rhetoric has been classified as managerial in its

approach to invention.

A RG UM ENTATION
THE USE OF REASONED DISCOURSE
TO INFLUENCE THE BELIEFS OF
OTHERS

RICHARD WHATELY
Richard Whately was one of the first theorists
to explicitly link rhetoric and argumentation.
Whately identified the concepts of presumption and
burden of proof.
Whately offered rhetors with a classification of
refutation techniques.

STEPHEN TOULMIN
The British philosopher Stephen Toulmin
offered a way to classify arguments.
The key parts of an argument are data, warrant,
and claim.
Toulmins model can be used to describe
substantive, authoritative, and motivational
arguments.

CHAIM PERELMAN
Chaim Perelman offered an audiencecentered view of argument and rhetoric.
The particular audience are those people who
hear a rhetors speech.
The universal audience includes all potential
audience members and helps to ensure sound
and ethical arguments.

RHETORICS RELATIONSHIP TO
KNOWLEDGE, IDENTITY, AND JUDGEMENT
Rhetorical theorists in this chapter generally agreed upon ideas about
rhetoric and its relationship to knowledge, identity, and judgment.
Theorists differed as to the degree to which rhetoric included reasoning and
imaginative appeals.
Theorists generally agreed on how rhetoric could be used either scientifically or
systematically to determine relative truth.
Theorists conceived of humans as scientific and reasoning creatures.
Theorists believed that judgments should be made based on systematic
reasoning processes.