S0918 Imagining Rhetoric: from Plato to Television

Rhetoric - the art of persuasion – was invented in classical Athens, but its influence continues well into our own times, even though the media of communication have changed drastically: from public speaking for a live audience of fellow-citziens to the mediated images reaching an audience through television. In this course we visit a wide range of rhetorical situations, using insights from various disciplines concerning culture and communication. First we investigate classical rhetoric and some of its modern manifestations. We then focus on practices of rhetoric that have developed in the law – an area where the relvance of rhetoric is still clearly visible in the behavior of advocates and judges. Culture is our next field of study. We consider the modernist period (1870-1940) which brought great changes (especially through war and technology) and see how poets and novelists dealt with the crisis of culture and invented new forms of rhetoric. Our final application is modern media culture: what influence do media such as film and video have on violence, personal identity, the experience of the body and reactions to what is happening in the world?

This course consists of four thematic parts. Part I is taught by Prof. Dr. Willem Witteveen, part II by Dr. Sanne Taekema, part III by Dr. Odile Heynders and part IV by Dr. Alkeline van Lenning. There will be lectures, interactive lectures, debate, individual and group assignments. The materials studied vary from classical philosophical texts and scientific articles to political speeches, works of literature and films. There will be a take-home exam during exam week.

This course is open to all students. No preliminary knowledge is needed. Students are asked to reflect on their own experiences with rhetoric and the media.