Policies and Syllabus

Professor Johnson-Sheehan
Wednesdays, 11:30-2:30

Western understandings of rhetoric were developed in the fifth-century BC as Athens and other Greek city-states matured into democracies. Citizens needed to know how to use language persuasively in order to survive and thrive in the marketplaces, legislatures, and law courts. People who could not argue persuasively were often at the mercy of their foes in an agonistic culture and litigious society.

Since lawyers were not allowed in the courts, a demand for training in rhetoric grew rapidly in Greek democracies, especially within non-aristocratic families. To meet this need, a group of itinerate teachers called ‘sophists’ began offering advanced education in a variety of subjects, including rhetoric and eloquence. Out of this sophistic tradition sprang the roots of much of the Western educational system, including contemporary ideas about critical theory and theories of rhetoric.

Reacting to the Sophists, Socrates and his student Plato argued vehemently against training in rhetoric. In doing so, they defined and refined Western philosophy around foundational notions of truth, morality, and aesthetics. Indeed, many of the debates we still have about rhetoric and philosophy originated in the debates between the Sophists and Socrates.

We will study four periods in the history of rhetoric. First, we will study the history, culture, and writings of the ancient Greeks, with coverage of seminal figures like Gorgias, Protagoras, Antiphon, Aspasia, Socrates, Isocrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Then, we will move to ancient Rome, with discussions centering on the works of Cicero, Longinus and Quintillian. Third, we will study the rhetorical works of Early Christianity and Medieval Europe, focusing on the works St. Augustine. Finally, we will study rhetoric in the Renaissance, including the works of Christine de Pisan, Thomas Wilson, Peter Ramus, and Madeleine de Scudéry.

Lectures

Here are the lecture notes for each week. The notes will appear each week after we cover the topic. They will be attached as pdf files.

Assignments

The assignment sheets for English 622 will appear here. Please click on the link below for the assignment you want. The assignment sheet itself will be attached to that page.