ENG 651 Advanced Studies in History and Theories of Rhetoric:
Modern and Contemporary Theories of Rhetorical Invention
Spring 2007
| Maureen Daly Goggin | Office Hours: Mon. 2-4:00 |
| Office: LL 202D | Other Times by Appointment |
| Office Phone: 965-1804 | |
| Syllabus |
Wisdom begins in wonder.
--Socrates
Discovery, like surprise, favors the well-prepared mind.
--Jerome Bruner
Novelty is achieved by means both of the refashioning of the old and of the unanticipated advent of the new or, more accurately if more paradoxically, that the advent of the new is a particular refashioning of the old.
--Derrick Attridge
The genius is the person whose work (a) marks the boundary between the old ways and the new within the tradition, and (b) has lasting value and significance.
--Christine Battersby
I beg you . . . to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually without ever noticing it, live your way into the answer.
--Rainer Maria Rilke
Description: Rhetorical invention is the first, and arguably the most important, of the five canons of rhetoric, the others being arrangement, style, memory and delivery. Invention is best understood as the art of generating effective and appropriate material for creating meaning in a particular rhetorical situation as well as the art of making critical judgments about that material. Understood in this way, invention is central to any meaning-making activity; it is the power in any art. Rhetorical invention then refers both to a theory of creation and an art of composing discourse. Historically, multiple rhetorical traditions have given rise to multiple, competing theories and practices of invention. Indeed, one way to distinguish among rhetorics is by examining their treatment and/or neglect of the canon of invention. Furthermore, differing definitions of invention bring some groups and their contributions to the center, while marginalizing or simply rendering invisible the practices and works of other groups. In this course, we will examine some of the underlying theoretical assumptions and practices that have been advocated through time, beginning with ancient rhetorics but then focusing especially on a variety of modern (nineteenth––twentieth century) and contemporary theories and arts. The purpose of the course is to provide you with an understanding of some of the major theories of rhetorical invention, their role in modern and contemporary rhetoric, their history, and their influences in theories, arts, and pedagogies of composing as well as their potential for giving voice to some while silencing others.
Required Books
Atwill, Janet M., and Janice M. Lauer, eds. Perspectives on Rhetorical Invention. Knoxville: U of Tennessee P, 2002.
Battersby, Christine. Gender and Genius: Toward a Feminist Aesthetics. London: Women’s P, 1994. (This is available as a packet in the ASU Bookstore.)
Crowley, Sharon. The Methodical Memory: Invention in Current-Traditional Rhetoric. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1990.
Lauer, Janice. Invention in Rhetoric and Composition. West Lafayette, IN: Parlor P, 2004.
LeFevre, Karen Burke. Invention as a Social Act. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1987.
Requirements
Detailed descriptions of the following assignments will be distributed:
Informal Proposal 10%
Annotated Bibliography 15%
Seminar Paper 25%
Conference Presentation 10%
Scholar’s Log 30%
Leading class 10%
Attendance: Because much of what is to be learned in this course occurs in class, regular attendance is expected. This course is so constructed that even a few absences will create serious problems. Be prepared each class to offer comments and pose questions on the day’s assigned readings.
Late Assignments: Papers not turned in on the due date will be marked down a letter grade for each week the paper is late.
Scholar’s Log: Your scholar’s log provides a space for you to respond to each reading (a minimum of one page per weekly assigned reading, though some readings may give rise to more than a page), record salient quotations, make observations on readings and class discussions, draw connections among assigned and out-of-class readings, pose questions, explore issues, topic ideas, research questions, and so on. Thus, your log will serve as a valuable resource for grappling with both the readings and the seminar project. Bring your scholar’s log to each class; you will be reflecting on your responses in class, and we will use these at times as a jumping off point for discussions and activities.
Incompletes: I follow university and departmental policy on handling incompletes; only in the case of verified emergencies or illnesses will an incomplete be given.
Withdrawal Deadlines:
Course Withdrawal (in Person) March 30, 2007
Course Withdrawal (ASU Interactive & Sundial) April 1, 2007
Complete Withdrawal May 1, 2007