Points of Praxis

My Blog Reflects on Visual Rhetorical Theory and Disability Rhetoric and their Connections to Classical and Contemporary Rhetorical Theory

James Kinneavy, A Theory of Discourse

Discourse and the Field of English
Difference b/t Greek and Romans:  Romans insisted on the more practical, whereas the Greek moved sometimes to the rhetoric that practicing sophists sarcastically called poetry.

Isocrates won over Plato.

Aims of discourse during Antiquity:  literary, persuasive (dialectical), and pursuit of truth (rhetorical)

---- during the Middle Ages:  literary, rhetorical, dialectical--Trivium of seven liberal arts.
shifted from Isocrates to Plato.  Concern for divine "truth."  Dialectical debate. 

Big jump from Renaissance to 19th century.  Emphasis on grammar, progymnasmata, and ars...

19th century:  important--clear classification system, Bain's modes of discourse:  narration, exposition, description, argumentation, persuasion.  Coincided w/ narrowing of English studies to literature.

The Aims of Discourse


Reference Discourse
    Scientific
    Informative
    Exploratory

Persuasive Discourse
    Ethical argument
    Pathetic argument
    Logical argument
  
Literary Discourse
    Mimetic
    Expressive
    Pragmatic
   
Expressive Discourse
   

posted by: rgregory at 19:37 | link | comments |

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