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Enlightenment

  • 17th-18th centuries
  • Move away from Ramus's deduction toward empirical deduction
  • Perspicuity (plain, clear speech) is valued early, particularly by scientists (like the Royal Society)
  • An interest in basic human capabilities, and searching for them (this included proto-psychological maxims)
    • universal traits
    • universal grammar
    • Locke and Hume were big into this
  • A few different moves or themes
    • rejection of contemporary developments; return to Aristotle, Cicero, Quinttilian
    • elocution movement (delivery, gesture, correct pronunciation)
    • belles lettres
  • Senecan style (plain) vs Ciceroian style (more generative)
    • Empiricists championed the former, Augustans (sometimes called neoclassicals) the latter. Augustans were folks like Pope and Dryden in poetry, Swift and Addison in prose.

Course Information

Rhetoric and Culture
ENG 552-001
MO 204
T 6:30–9:15

Instructor Information

Dr. Jeremy Tirrell
tirrellj@uncw.edu
Office: MO 161
Office Hours: TR 12:00-2:00 (and by appointment)