Rhetoric is widely regarded by both its detractors and advocates as a kind of antithesis to reason. In this book Thomas B. Farrell restores rhetoric as an art of practical reason and enlightened civic participation, grounding it in its classical tradition--particularly in the rhetoric of Aristotle. And, because prevailing modernist world views bear principal responsibility for the disparagement of rhetorical tradition, Farrell also offers a critique of the dominant currents of modern humanist thought.

Farrell argues that rhetoric is not antithetical to reason but is a manner of posing and...

This work brings together the pivotal, scholarly essays responsible for the present resurgence in rhetorical studies. Assembled by one of the most respected senior scholars in the field of rhetoric, the essays chart a course from tradition-based theory of civic rhetoric to ongoing issues of figuration, power, and gender. Together with a lucid introductory essay, these studies help to integrate the still-volatile questions at the core of humanities scholarship in rhetoric. The introductory student as well as the seasoned scholar will gain familiarity and footing in this oldest--and still...