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Rhetorical Critique. Neo-Aristotelian Criticism. History. Neo-classical Traditional Neo-Aristotelian The Genesis of Rhetorical Criticism Herbert A. Wichelns, “The Literary Criticism of Oratory” (1925). Literary vs. Rhetorical
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Rhetorical Critique Neo-Aristotelian Criticism
History • Neo-classical • Traditional • Neo-Aristotelian • The Genesis of Rhetorical Criticism • Herbert A. Wichelns, “The Literary Criticism of Oratory” (1925). • Literary vs. Rhetorical • Rhetoric not concerned with permanence and beauty but with immediate effect. • Distinguish between Communication and English departments
The Consequences • Neo-Aristotelianism became virtually the only method. • Rhetorical Criticism became the “Study of Speeches” • Subject matter and Purpose • Effect on the immediate audience • Limited to single speakers • Tended toward “elite men” of public affairs.
Criticism of Neo-Aristotelian Criticism • Unchallenged until the 1960’s • Based on Aristotle’s “Rhetoric” • Not designed for the critic but designed to teach the speaker. • “Did the speech evoke the intended response?” and “Did speaker use the available means of persuasion?” not necessarily the best questions. • Otis M. Walter, “On the Varieties of Rhetorical Criticism” (1968) • The Sermon on the Mount. • “Were Jesus’s means of persuasion consistent with his ethics?” • “What changes in Old Testament morality did Jesus present?” • Greece and Rome not Modern Western Culture and too “Rational with “Mechanical Categories”
Selecting & Analyzing an Artifact • Analyze Speeches and Famous Rhetors • Three Basic Steps: • Reconstructing the context in which the artifact occurred. • Application of Proofs and the 5 Cannons • Ethos, Logos, Pathos • (1) invention, (2)arrangement, (3)style, (4)memory, and (5)delivery • Assessing the impact on Audience