Carter Davis Johnson

Virginia Military Institute

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The Belletristic Movement

This week’s reading was my first exposure to the Belletristic Movement. Its core focus on literature immediately intrigued me. Also, the shift in rhetoric’s definition from argument and persuasion to reception and appreciation is also an interesting aspect of this movement…. Continue Reading →

The Faculty: An Aspect of Aristotle’s Definition of Rhetoric 2/8/2017

“Rhetoric is the faculty (dunamis) of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion.” -Aristotle, Rhetoric Aristotle’s definition has done more for my understanding of rhetoric than anything else I have studied thus far. Time and time again it… Continue Reading →

Rhetoric as a Social Practice – 02/06/17

I particularly enjoyed this excerpt from Hauser. He whittled rhetoric down to its bones. He states that “The hallmark of human intelligence is our ability to use symbols to create and share meanings (22).” At this level of communication, readers… Continue Reading →

What Is Rhetoric? Part 2

livemagUK.com As I think about the nature of rhetoric and how it can be seen, I am drawn back to last semester. When we began Rhetorical Traditions 1 I was asked this same question. Because of this you might say this should… Continue Reading →

Sophist Paper Proposal

I have chosen to discuss the Sophists for the upcoming writing assignment. I propose to endorse the Sophists as positive influences on society and history. Although many will argue against this point of view, even the great Plato himself, I… Continue Reading →

Constructive Reflection

Throughout this first part of the semester, I have gained a great deal of knowledge concerning rhetoric. To begin with, we attempted to define and qualify what rhetoric is. This search for a definition caused me to challenge my preconceived thoughts… Continue Reading →

Aristotle: Truth Does Not Always Persuade

In book I, Aristotle makes the claim that truth does not always persuade. This is a very provocative thought from the great Greek philosopher. He is attempting to show that the truth, if not properly proclaimed, can easily be swept… Continue Reading →

Question #2 Mere Belief vs. True Knowledge

Plato is concerned with the distinction between mere belief and true knowledge because it is a critical presupposition which often gets over looked. For a man can believe that the sun orbits around the earth; he can believe it with… Continue Reading →

Thoughts on Socrates’ (Plato’s) discussion with Gorgias

One of the first impressions I had of Plato’s and Gorgias’ conversation was the banter. With an entertaining rhythm, the two great thinkers kept a balance of respect, wit, and tension throughout the dialogue. It was quite pleasant to imagine… Continue Reading →

Rhetoric Definition Image

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