Rhetoric II (Dual Credit/Honors)

Course Description

The liberal arts have been described as “a golden thread that comes from the Greeks ... a thread that weaves its way through the history of our civilization. These arts were intended for the cultivation of freedom and the raising of our humanity to its highest possible level,” thus Rhetoric, third of the verbal Trivium arts, concerns how “we communicate what we know to others within a moral community of free persons” (Caldecott). Aristotle defined rhetoric as the ability to see what is possibly persuasive in every given case (Rhet. I.2), that is, utilizing persuasion through the character of the speaker (êthos), through the emotions of the hearer (pathos), or through the argument itself (logos). This course begins with our own experience as consumers of information, examining how producers of information–the contemporary media and powerful stakeholders–deploy rhetorical strategies in news narratives. Then we delve into the study of Rhetoric proper as articulated by Aristotle. Because historically-significant speeches and documents best show how successful speakers have traditionally crafted messages for targeted audiences, students must scrutinize select masterpieces–from the weightiest moments of humanity’s freedom struggle–for their use of rhetorical devices and strategies. Next, students employ the rhetorical triangle and basic components of storytelling to compose personal narratives and to develop and deliver effective messaging. Finally, they will deepen their mastery of rhetoric as art by conducting research on a serious issue, by producing an academic essay and by writing and publicly presenting their own speech.