Monthly Archives: April 2011

What is Rhetoric?

Posted on April 20, 2011 by insignificantwrangler@gmail.com

Our FYC program writes and publishes their own textbook every year. This year, they asked me to write a short introduction addressing what rhetoric is and why one might study it. Here’s my answer (probably rife with errors, it could … Continue reading →

Posted in aristotle, augustine, electracy, latour, plato, rhetoric, sophistry | Comments Off on What is Rhetoric?

St. Augustine of Hippo

Posted on April 20, 2011 by insignificantwrangler@gmail.com

Even in 400 AD people were in too much of a hurry: Careful consideration of many other such things (which can be done by those who are not hard-pressed by the need to finish a book!) reveals that the basic … Continue reading →

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How I Pick My Battles

Posted on April 16, 2011 by insignificantwrangler@gmail.com

One of my friends asked a provocative question over facebook this morning. Those familiar with this blog’s history will likely know its source. But it is a great question. My answer might be a little “blue,” but I think it … Continue reading →

Posted in ethics, kairos, levinas, rhetoric, sophistry | Comments Off on How I Pick My Battles

Quintilian Responds to Plato

Posted on April 13, 2011 by insignificantwrangler@gmail.com

Addressing the idea that rhetoric be forbidden because it is capable of evil: Under such a mode of reasoning, neither will generals, nor magistrates, nor medicine, nor even wisdom itself, be of any utility; […] in the hands of physicians … Continue reading →

Posted in lanham, quintilian, rhetoric, strong-defense | Comments Off on Quintilian Responds to Plato

Rowan on New Car Smell

Posted on April 13, 2011 by insignificantwrangler@gmail.com

Me: “This is the first time you’ll ride in dad’s new car” Rowan: “Why does your new car smell like dog poop?” Me: “That’s called new car smell. A lot of people like it” Rowan: “A lot of people like … Continue reading →

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Aaron Schwartz on education

Posted on April 11, 2011 by insignificantwrangler@gmail.com

Aaron Schwartz has a short piece today (“Individuals in a World of Science”) on what I consider a rhetorical problem–finding an acceptable balance between individual (agency) and synthesized (agency). This seemed to be the driving question at a number of … Continue reading →

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