Approaches and Paradigms in the History of Rhetorical Theory II

Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor

Course Description: A number of efforts have been made to read Stanley Cavell with Michel Foucault in terms of the possible relations between Cavell’s account of moral perfectionism and Foucault’s account of parrhesia. While retaining an interest in the relationship between these two practices, this course will read Cavell with Foucault through a consideration of speech acts beginning with John Austin’s How To Do Things With Words and continuing up to and beyond Cavell’s essay, “Performative and Passionate Utterance.” In addition to the work of Austin, Cavell and Foucault, the works we will read include those of Jacques Derrida, Aletta Norval, Stephen Mulhall, and Daniele Lorenzini. Among other things, I am interested in questioning the tenability of the opposition between rhetoric and truthfulness.

There will be weekly short written assignments, class presentations, and a final.

Class attendance is required