Edited anthology of the most controversial speeches in American history. 42 Speeches. Analyses by... more Edited anthology of the most controversial speeches in American history. 42 Speeches. Analyses by noted public address scholars.
The rapid proliferation of online journals and other such publication outlets may have diluted th... more The rapid proliferation of online journals and other such publication outlets may have diluted the credibility of online journals and the scholarship they produce. This article engages the challenges and possibilities of online publishing. Drawing upon a review of the literature, this article examines the results of an informal survey designed to investigate the views of seven communication journal editors. While there is some discontinuity among editors as to how fast online publishing will gain credibility, they all agree that online scholarship will become a staple of the academic world and that this new outlet deserves attention. Introduction Most online journals are poor examples of what could be rich and illuminating forces for change in the currents of scholarly information. Actually, we should not blame the journals, but the editors, designers, contributors, reviewers, and readers. We are all to blame for the substandard scholarship that plagues the net. Most of all, we are ...
This chapter works toward a four-part model of online ethos connecting classical rhetorical theor... more This chapter works toward a four-part model of online ethos connecting classical rhetorical theory to the new age of computer-mediated technology with particular attention paid to the challenges, complications, and possibilities of this evolving rhetorical environment. This model demonstrates the usefulness of updating our understanding of ethos and its place in computer-mediated communication (CMC). The proposed model allows for the assessment of digital ethos by examining others’ attempts to develop an online identity based upon: (1) Community Identification and Goodwill, (2) Moral Character and Virtue, (3) Intelligence and Knowledge, and (4) Verbal and Design Competence.
is an epic story about human character, which predates the Aristotelian lectures by some four hun... more is an epic story about human character, which predates the Aristotelian lectures by some four hundred years. While classical scholars have always valued Aristotle's notion of ethos as a primary factor in persuasion, few have traced this concept to this earlier period. Following a close analysis of speeches in the Iliad, this examination attempts to reconstruct what Homer's theory of character might have looked like. While Aristotle seems to have understood character much differently than did Homer, enough evidence exists to suggest that Aristotle may have embraced Homer's Iliad and the story it tells about the importance of age, social convention, and the heroic. Homer's works are vital not only as literary masterpieces but also as cornerstones for much of Western philosophy. 1 It is widely accepted that the Homeric epics were valued as guides for future writers, rhapsodes, and thinkers, but the extent to which they inspired later philosophies of rhetoric needs to be reassessed. Homer's conception of character, for example, is largely overlooked when rhetoric scholars focus on persuasion in ancient Greece. This essay reveals that the focus on character in the Iliad is an anchor for the more advanced notion of ethos found centuries later in Aristotle. Although Kennedy has argued that "we cannot trace the development of artistic ethos in early human rhetoric" we can, based upon an interpretation of speeches in the Iliad, cull out an implicit "Homeric" theory of character (Comparative 43). Although the concept itself is rarely explicit in the Iliad, it is not the case that character was not important. "Homer," as Vivante has written, "plunges us into the very essence of character" (45). Indeed, Homer discussed qualities that are essential to our modern ethical theories, including the virtues of excellence, eloquence, and goodness. These are frequently attributed, for example, to King Nestor. In fact, when Zeus sent the dream to Agamemnon, it was Nestor whose image appeared because it was he "whom above all the elders Agamemnon held in honor" (Iliad 2.20-21).
At least two powerful myths have in uenced Western society: rst, that technological developmen... more At least two powerful myths have in uenced Western society: rst, that technological development is human progress, and second, that technology is sacred. Both, argues French sociologist and theologian Jacques Ellul, are naive perceptions. Stop de ning technology this simple way, he writes, and start recognizing how powerfully it exists as a legitimate part of our social institutions. Our technological world has become the only world some of us see, so we often forget that new technology occasionally meets resistance. It’s instructive to examine two such acts of resistance. Both subtle and overt attempts to resist technological progress have occurred. Most pronounced in recent times is the Neo-Luddite movement—an ongoing social protest against forms of technology its members view as a threat to humanity. Environmentalist and historian Kirkpatrick Sale describes this uid group in Rebels Against the Future as the “strongest and most self-conscious in the United States but indeed global in scope” and ranging “from the narrow single-issue concerns to broad philosophical analyses, from aversion to resistance to sabotage, with much diversity in between.” The stage on which the action rests makes this powerful group of activists even more dif cult to de ne: the Neo-Luddites are mostly a band of Internet revolutionaries. We are concerned here with the relationship between the Neo-Luddite movement and the rhetoric of its public image. This movement reveals an effort to create an image that both borrows and distances itself from the historical image of the original Luddites. We may question what image the Neo-Luddites seek to create: how, for instance, do they manage an image that both embraces certain aspects of the original Luddite image and disassociates itself from others? How do they transform perceptions of the past, present, and future to rhetorically forge a self-identity? The Neo-Luddites constitute a highly motivated social group; if it can x some basic problems, it has the potential to affect social change.
This paper is a rhetorical exploration of Playboy.com and its attempt to manage ethos and identit... more This paper is a rhetorical exploration of Playboy.com and its attempt to manage ethos and identity. Online groups have embraced the Web for its potential to connect them to users directly, but they must now face rising security problems, the lack of traditional ...
The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with p... more The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.
Page 1. Jamieson Meets Lucas: Eloquence and Pedagogical Model(s) in The Art of Public Speaking To... more Page 1. Jamieson Meets Lucas: Eloquence and Pedagogical Model(s) in The Art of Public Speaking Todd S. Frobish The current state of speech pedagogy does not fully reflect modern theory and research. This paper critically ...
The US American political machine has always been concerned with science and technology. This foc... more The US American political machine has always been concerned with science and technology. This focus strengthened following World War II as the US government substantially increased funding and work force to support basic and applied research as a major means to compete with and defend against other nations. An army of people now exists within the federal government whose job is to maintain our scientific and technological superpower status. Borrowing from the notion of the rhetorical presidency, this paper discusses the rise of the techno-political presidency in American politics. More specifically, the analysis closely analyzes Truman‟s “Bombing of Hiroshima” speech, examines significant Presidential scientific and technological discourse since, and speculates upon the implications of such a focus for our political future. This case highlights an important, but neglected area of rhetorical study—significant enough to warrant attention as a rhetorical sub-genre. Keywords: Presidenti...
Edited anthology of the most controversial speeches in American history. 42 Speeches. Analyses by... more Edited anthology of the most controversial speeches in American history. 42 Speeches. Analyses by noted public address scholars.
The rapid proliferation of online journals and other such publication outlets may have diluted th... more The rapid proliferation of online journals and other such publication outlets may have diluted the credibility of online journals and the scholarship they produce. This article engages the challenges and possibilities of online publishing. Drawing upon a review of the literature, this article examines the results of an informal survey designed to investigate the views of seven communication journal editors. While there is some discontinuity among editors as to how fast online publishing will gain credibility, they all agree that online scholarship will become a staple of the academic world and that this new outlet deserves attention. Introduction Most online journals are poor examples of what could be rich and illuminating forces for change in the currents of scholarly information. Actually, we should not blame the journals, but the editors, designers, contributors, reviewers, and readers. We are all to blame for the substandard scholarship that plagues the net. Most of all, we are ...
This chapter works toward a four-part model of online ethos connecting classical rhetorical theor... more This chapter works toward a four-part model of online ethos connecting classical rhetorical theory to the new age of computer-mediated technology with particular attention paid to the challenges, complications, and possibilities of this evolving rhetorical environment. This model demonstrates the usefulness of updating our understanding of ethos and its place in computer-mediated communication (CMC). The proposed model allows for the assessment of digital ethos by examining others’ attempts to develop an online identity based upon: (1) Community Identification and Goodwill, (2) Moral Character and Virtue, (3) Intelligence and Knowledge, and (4) Verbal and Design Competence.
is an epic story about human character, which predates the Aristotelian lectures by some four hun... more is an epic story about human character, which predates the Aristotelian lectures by some four hundred years. While classical scholars have always valued Aristotle's notion of ethos as a primary factor in persuasion, few have traced this concept to this earlier period. Following a close analysis of speeches in the Iliad, this examination attempts to reconstruct what Homer's theory of character might have looked like. While Aristotle seems to have understood character much differently than did Homer, enough evidence exists to suggest that Aristotle may have embraced Homer's Iliad and the story it tells about the importance of age, social convention, and the heroic. Homer's works are vital not only as literary masterpieces but also as cornerstones for much of Western philosophy. 1 It is widely accepted that the Homeric epics were valued as guides for future writers, rhapsodes, and thinkers, but the extent to which they inspired later philosophies of rhetoric needs to be reassessed. Homer's conception of character, for example, is largely overlooked when rhetoric scholars focus on persuasion in ancient Greece. This essay reveals that the focus on character in the Iliad is an anchor for the more advanced notion of ethos found centuries later in Aristotle. Although Kennedy has argued that "we cannot trace the development of artistic ethos in early human rhetoric" we can, based upon an interpretation of speeches in the Iliad, cull out an implicit "Homeric" theory of character (Comparative 43). Although the concept itself is rarely explicit in the Iliad, it is not the case that character was not important. "Homer," as Vivante has written, "plunges us into the very essence of character" (45). Indeed, Homer discussed qualities that are essential to our modern ethical theories, including the virtues of excellence, eloquence, and goodness. These are frequently attributed, for example, to King Nestor. In fact, when Zeus sent the dream to Agamemnon, it was Nestor whose image appeared because it was he "whom above all the elders Agamemnon held in honor" (Iliad 2.20-21).
At least two powerful myths have in uenced Western society: rst, that technological developmen... more At least two powerful myths have in uenced Western society: rst, that technological development is human progress, and second, that technology is sacred. Both, argues French sociologist and theologian Jacques Ellul, are naive perceptions. Stop de ning technology this simple way, he writes, and start recognizing how powerfully it exists as a legitimate part of our social institutions. Our technological world has become the only world some of us see, so we often forget that new technology occasionally meets resistance. It’s instructive to examine two such acts of resistance. Both subtle and overt attempts to resist technological progress have occurred. Most pronounced in recent times is the Neo-Luddite movement—an ongoing social protest against forms of technology its members view as a threat to humanity. Environmentalist and historian Kirkpatrick Sale describes this uid group in Rebels Against the Future as the “strongest and most self-conscious in the United States but indeed global in scope” and ranging “from the narrow single-issue concerns to broad philosophical analyses, from aversion to resistance to sabotage, with much diversity in between.” The stage on which the action rests makes this powerful group of activists even more dif cult to de ne: the Neo-Luddites are mostly a band of Internet revolutionaries. We are concerned here with the relationship between the Neo-Luddite movement and the rhetoric of its public image. This movement reveals an effort to create an image that both borrows and distances itself from the historical image of the original Luddites. We may question what image the Neo-Luddites seek to create: how, for instance, do they manage an image that both embraces certain aspects of the original Luddite image and disassociates itself from others? How do they transform perceptions of the past, present, and future to rhetorically forge a self-identity? The Neo-Luddites constitute a highly motivated social group; if it can x some basic problems, it has the potential to affect social change.
This paper is a rhetorical exploration of Playboy.com and its attempt to manage ethos and identit... more This paper is a rhetorical exploration of Playboy.com and its attempt to manage ethos and identity. Online groups have embraced the Web for its potential to connect them to users directly, but they must now face rising security problems, the lack of traditional ...
The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with p... more The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.
Page 1. Jamieson Meets Lucas: Eloquence and Pedagogical Model(s) in The Art of Public Speaking To... more Page 1. Jamieson Meets Lucas: Eloquence and Pedagogical Model(s) in The Art of Public Speaking Todd S. Frobish The current state of speech pedagogy does not fully reflect modern theory and research. This paper critically ...
The US American political machine has always been concerned with science and technology. This foc... more The US American political machine has always been concerned with science and technology. This focus strengthened following World War II as the US government substantially increased funding and work force to support basic and applied research as a major means to compete with and defend against other nations. An army of people now exists within the federal government whose job is to maintain our scientific and technological superpower status. Borrowing from the notion of the rhetorical presidency, this paper discusses the rise of the techno-political presidency in American politics. More specifically, the analysis closely analyzes Truman‟s “Bombing of Hiroshima” speech, examines significant Presidential scientific and technological discourse since, and speculates upon the implications of such a focus for our political future. This case highlights an important, but neglected area of rhetorical study—significant enough to warrant attention as a rhetorical sub-genre. Keywords: Presidenti...
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