Publisher's Synopsis
Rhetoric is one of the Western world's most ancient disciplines. From ancient Greece and Rome to the modern era, the art of persuasion has been used, discussed, and debated for over twenty-four hundred years. Scholars in such areas as philosophy, literary theory, and communications have renewed their attention to rhetoric as a way of understanding many areas of culture and social life. The Encyclopedia of Rhetoric is a comprehensive survey of the latest research--as well as the foundational teachings--in this broad field. Featuring 150 original, signed articles by leading scholars from many different fields of study, it brings together knowledge from classics, philosophy, literature, literary theory, cultural studies, speech, and communications. The Encyclopedia surveys basic concepts (speaker, style, and audience); elements; genres; terms (fallacies, figures of speech); and the rhetoric of non-Western cultures and cultural movements. It covers rhetoric as the art of proof and persuasion; as the language of public speech and communication; and as a theoretical approach and critical tool used in the study of literature, art, and culture at large, including new forms of communication such as the internet. The Encyclopedia is the most wide ranging reference work of its kind, combining theory, history, and practice, with a special emphasis on public speaking, performance, and communication. Cross-references, bibliographies after each article, and synoptic and topical indexes further enhance the work. Written for students, teachers, scholars and writers, the Encyclopedia of Rhetoric is the definitive reference work on this powerful discipline.
