Contemporary rhetorician Richard M. Weaver believes that values are inseparable from rhetoric. For him, to be a rhetorician is to direct toward good or evil and to be a rhetorical critic is to determine whether that direction is the "right one" and/or judge whether the rhetorician "is a master of his art." To determine if the…

Walter Carlton (1978) has suggested that the most prominent characteristic of contemporary rhetorical theory is its attempt to bring into focus the relationship between knowledge and discourse. The concern with establishing the epistemic status of discourse is not, however, limited to rhetoric. Similar questions dominate much contemporary…

The study of conflict and its management is diverse in that it involves many academic disciplines, sub-disciplines, and specific situations. One aspect of this diversity can be found in the revelations regarding television evangelists such as Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Oral Roberts, and Jimmy Swaggart. The effects arising out of the publication of…

The most common criticism of CEDA (Cross Examination Debate Association) debate tournaments voiced by coaches and students alike centers on the quality of judging. If the debater is completely unaware of the qualifications or credentials of the critic, he or she will be unable to fulfill the judge's expectations. Debates are then lost not on…

The implications of ghostwritten speeches for rhetorical studies. (CH)

Research possibilities for a new paradigm in rhetorical theory. (CH)

Rhetorical movement theory suggests two portrayals of social movements: the establishment conflict, or radical innovational portrayal, and the innovational, in which the movement is seen as upholding traditional values while suggesting institutional modifications or additions. A third portrayal, the competitive, lies on the midpoint on a continuum…

The premise of this paper is that a rhetorical analysis of Lenny Bruce's invective will help in understanding the cultural impact that he has had on twentieth century America. In evaluating his rhetoric in relationship to the audience to which he was preaching, both his rejection and acceptance are found to flow from the same point--an image of…

The focus of this paper is on Michael Polanyi, a contemporary scientist and philosopher, and on some general features which are embedded in rhetorical theory's traditional bases and contemporary manifestations and which are seen from Polanyi's vantage point. The author discusses the basic features which undergird rhetorical theories and are…

This study sought to discover the extent of the parallel between the processes of curriculum evaluation and literary criticism in order to clarify the evaluation process. A consideration of both literatures confirmed the presence of the analogy and allowed the development of a concept of descriptive validity as well as the identification of three…

In analyzing the reasons for George McGovern's failure in the presidential election of 1972, the author cites weaknesses in rhetoric, rhetorical strategy, and confrontation with and answers to the issues, and the apt handling of the South by Richard Nixon's aide, Harry Dent. McGovern's continual citation of the "errors of our ways" and…

Qualitative studies can be approached through a method analogous to semiotic analysis. In order to avoid arbitrary assessments, news reportage should be subjected to an analysis that will reveal the various logical and technological, mythic and modal structures reflected in the message system. Humanistic inquiry can borrow from structural models…

The rhetorical technique of Simone de Beauvoir's "The Second Sex" is discussed and analyzed as one source of its impact on the women's movement. De Beauvoir's existentialist philosophy is seen as the most significant factor both in her perception of the world and in the rhetorical style adopted in the book. This includes both a…

The rhetoric of the final four months of Hitler's Reich is examined, including arguments that Germany could still win the war based on moral and logical grounds, and later appeals based on source credibility, historical analogy, and terror. (JF)

Describes the rhetorical situation and structure of Paul's first epistle to the Thessalonians and compares diction and voice in three translations. (DD)