In Contemporary Rhetorical Theory, we will survey the key authors, concepts, issues, and debates of contemporary rhetoric and place them in a practical context. The first half of the course will focus on the (arguably) five most important contemporary rhetoricians (Weaver, Richards, Burke, Toulmin, and Perelman), and the second part will concentrate on contemporary rhetoric at work in culture through power relations, discourse, sexuality, race, media, advertising, and propaganda. Recognizing with Kenneth Burke “how overwhelmingly much of what we mean by ‘reality’ has been built for us through... Read more about Contemporary Rhetoric (ENGL 309C)