From the moment we begin to understand the meanings of words and symbols, we have used rhetoric. It is how we determine perceptions of who we are, those around us, and the social structure in which we operate. Rhetorical Theory, Second Edition introduces a broad selection of classical and contemporary theoretical approaches to understanding and using rhetoric. Historical context reveals why rhetorical theories were created, while present-day examples demonstrate how they relate to the world in which we live. Borchers and Hundley present conceptual topics in a succinct and approachable manner. The text is organized topically rather than chronologically, so similarities and differences are easily detected in central ideas. Each chapter is enhanced by the inclusion of theorist biographies, applications of theory to practice, and Internet exercises. The Second Edition expands coverage on mediated rhetoric, feminist rhetoric, alternative rhetorical theories including Afrocentricity and intersectionality, cultural and critical rhetoric, and postmodern implications of rhetoric.

First Published in 1996. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This reference guide surveys the field, covering rhetoric's principles, concepts, applications, practical tools, and major thinkers. Drawing on the scholarship and expertise of 288 contributors, the Encyclopedia presents a long-needed overview of rhetoric and its role in contemporary education and communications, discusses rhetoric's contributions to various fields, surveys the applications of this versatile discipline to the teaching of English and language arts, and illustrates its usefulness in all kinds of discourse, argument, and exchange of ideas.

The authors analyze and discuss the field of communication from a multidimensional point of view. Divided into three parts, the first traces its history from scientific, humanistic, and technological roots. The second explores communication theory in the areas of interpersonal, organizational, mass media, intercultural, telecommunication, nonverbal, and with reference to issues of gender as the authors summarize the most significant theories, research, and practices in each area. A discussion of the future direction of communication research is provided in the final section.

Many Sides is the first full-length study of Protagorean antilogic, an argumentative practice with deep roots in rhetorical history and renewed relevance for contemporary culture. Founded on the philosophical relativism of Protagoras, antilogic is a dynamic rather than a formal approach to argument, focused principally on the dialogical interaction of opposing positions (anti-logoi) in controversy. In ancient Athens, antilogic was the cardinal feature of Sophistic rhetoric. In Rome, Cicero redefined Sophistic argument in a concrete set of dialogical procedures. In turn, Quintilian inherited this dialogical tradition and made it the centrepiece of his own rhetorical practice and pedagogy. Many Sides explores the history, theory, and pedagogy of this neglected rhetorical tradition and, by appeal to recent rhetorical and philosophical theory, reconceives the enduring features of antilogical practice in a dialogical approach to argumentation especially suited to the pluralism of our own age and the diversity of modern classrooms.

This wide-ranging volume gives proper attention to the views on rhetoric and style set forth by British literary figure Thomas De Quincey (1785–1859), whose contributions to the history of rhetoric are often overlooked. Lois Peters Agnew presents an overview of this theorist’s life and provides cultural context for his time and place, with particular emphasis on the significance of his rhetoric as both an alternative strain of rhetorical history and a previously unrealized example of rhetoric’s transformation in nineteenth-century Britain. Agnew presents an extensive discussion of De Quincey’s ideas on rhetoric, his theory and practice of conversation, his theory of style and its role in achieving rhetoric’s dialogic potential, and his strategic use of humor and irony in such works as Confessions of an English Opium Eater. Synthesizing previous treatments of De Quincey’s rhetoric and connecting his unusual perspectives on language to the biographical details of his life, Agnew helps readers understand his intellectual development while bringing to light the cultural contexts that prompted radical changes in the ways nineteenth-century British intellectuals conceived of the role of language and the imagination in public and private discourse. Agnew presents an alternative vision of rhetoric that departs from many common assumptions about rhetoric’s civic purpose and offers insights into the topic of rhetoric and technological change. The result is an accessible and thorough explanation of De Quincey’s complex ideas on rhetoric and the first work to fully show the reach of his ideas across multiple texts written during his lifetime.

*HA02, Rhetoric: Concepts, Definitions, Boundaries, William A. Covino(University of Illinois at Chicago), David A. Jolliffe(University of Illinois at Chicago), U1581-0, 640 pp., 6 1/8 x 9 1/4, 0-02-325321-5, paperbound, 1995, $22.50nk, August*/RHETORIC provides a comprehensive overview of the major concepts of rhetorical theory, developed throughout history to the present. The text is divided into four parts: an introduction, defining rhetoric conceptually and historically and interrogating the definitions it proposes; a glossary, providing explanations of important concepts, periods, and individuals; a selection of perspectives by major scholars; and a collection of 13 readings and related commentaries, focusing on the relationship of rhetoric to other fields.