Discusses Aristotle's five means of making judgments: intelligence, "episteme" (scientific knowledge), "sophia" (theoretical wisdom), "techne" (art), and "phronesis" (practical wisdom). Sets Aristotle's theory of rhetorical argument within the context of his overall view of human judgment. Notes that…

Responds to an article in the same issue. Sets Michael Leff's style of criticism in context by describing a taxonomy of critical methods, revealing its commitments and indicating its strengths and weaknesses. Argues that the dialectic Leff proposes with postmodernism is problematized by an incommensurability between that approach and his own…

Proposes an approach to rhetorical criticism that features the relationship between a message and a culturally distanced interpreter or critic. Applies Paul Ricoeur's critical approach to an interpretation of the Gettysburg Address to illustrate how hermeneutics reveals the underlying meaning and cultural significance of enduring texts. (NKA)

Claims that the narrative paradigm recently proposed as a model for rhetorical criticism is problematic because of internal contradictions and inconsistencies. Argues that independent sources are lacking for judging the adequacy of a critic's claims about a text. (JD)

Identifies and illustrates characteristics of conservative resistance rhetoric and examines the psychological origins and ideological statements of this rhetoric in the West Virginia textbook protest. (MH)

States that John F. Kennedy, in his 1960 speech to Houston ministers, convinced many voters that, as a Catholic president, he would act independently of the Catholic Church in matters such as federal aid to schools, human reproduction, and religious tolerance. Analyzes arguments he used to distance himself from the Vatican and align himself with…

The implications of a social movement theory advanced by Jean-Paul Sartre in his "Critique of Dialectical Reason" is examined in this paper. The paper notes that unlike sociologists and rhetoricians who have stressed the psychology of movement adherents, the reasons for movement formation, or the movement's interaction with power agents,…

Describes the recommendations of Francois de Salignac de la Mothe Fenelon, an 18th century religious speaker, concerning rhetoric as defined in his Letter to the Academy. (MH)

Examines structuralist, phenomenological, and constructivist views of discourse and applies them to rhetorical criticism. Structuralist criticism analyzes elements of the text and their interrelationships; phenomenological criticism stresses the influence of the situation on discourse; and constructivist criticism incorporates both methods,…