Joachim Knape

Was ist Rhetorik?

The goal of this book is to formulate a modern theoretical approach for rhetorical studies in a variety of disciplines in the humanities, media research, and other cultural studies. The discipline of rhetoric originally concerned itself with linguistic forms of communication, and its basic theory was developed with such cases in mind. With respect to this ancient tradition, there are numerous books that provide a historical overview of the field. There is also a wide array of introductory works and research contributions that deal with the practice of political rhetoric. On the other hand, only a few 20th century academics have attempted to theoretically rehabilitate rhetoric (after its decline as an academic discipline in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries) and to give rhetorical theory a modern, new, and further reaching perspective. Two notable examples have been Kenneth Burke and Brian Vickers. The book begins with the assumption that rhetoric is not merely limited to linguistic action, but rather is present everywhere in the communicative world. Against this background, this work develops a modern theory of rhetoric, and demonstrates in twelve chapters how methodical rhetorical analysis can be done in selected practical fields of application (Literature, Music, Images, and Film).

13 Essays

Modern Rhetoric in Culture, Arts, and Media

Olaf Kramer

Rhetorik und Sprachkunst bei Thomas Bernhard

Andreas Gardt

Ulla Fix

Rhetoric and stylistics deal with successful human communication and the arrangement of language in texts. The handbook offers surveys of theoretical approaches, forms of linguistic practice and practical contexts from antiquity to the present.

Joachim Knape

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