Beyond The 'Rhetoric' – Reclaiming What's Become Almost A Pejorative Term
While the art of persuasion and the study of public discourse have enriched human civilization for millennia, negative connotations frequently surround contemporary notions of rhetoric. Politicians are dismissed as "all rhetoric, no action," and...
St. Louis on the Air · St. Louis Public Radio
February 11, 201928m 0s
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (kwmu-adswizz.streamguys1.com) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
<p>While the art of persuasion and the study of public discourse have enriched human civilization for millennia, negative connotations frequently surround contemporary notions of rhetoric. Politicians are dismissed as "all rhetoric, no action," and talking heads on TV make everyday people sigh over "all the rhetoric" of the 24-hour news cycle. But for those who conduct research in the academic field of rhetoric – and anyone interested in the work that words can do – the term "rhetoric" still holds great hope and possibility for society. Host Don Marsh talks with two local scholars, Lauren Obermark and Paul Lynch, about cultural understandings of rhetoric, its positive uses and the ever-shifting ways in which humans communicate.</p>