Bizzell, Patricia, et al. The Rhetorical Tradition: Readings from Classical Times to the Present. 3rd ed., Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2020.
Basic Knowledge
This book is an excellent source of information that demonstrates the features of rhetoric from a historical perspective. First of all, this source allowed me to significantly expand my theoretical understanding of this science thanks to a detailed review of rhetoric’s development. In their work, Bizzell et al. (1) consider the period from the sixth century BC to the present. This allows them to consider essential features of all fundamental historical teachings.
Secondly, in the book’s third edition, some of the previously considered insignificant philosophers were reexamined. Authors pay much more attention to those categories of authors who previously received little representation in the literature, including people of color. For example, Bizzell et al. (11) include a broad list of women in rhetoric, analyzing the features of their work. Such detailing allowed me to form a more detailed theoretical basis for research.
Finally, an exhaustive study of the linguistic turn qualified me to study further the philosophy of communication in a relevant form. Martin Heidegger had the most significant influence on this phenomenon, but many of his acquaintances and students continued to develop this direction (Bizzell et al. 15). Consideration of the most recent theories of rhetoric allowed me to supplement theoretical knowledge with reflections on how rhetoric can be applied in a modern context.
Metaphor and Argument
The central issue facing this work is a detailed study of the rhetoric of the Western tradition from a theoretical perspective. As the authors note in the preface, recently, interest in rhetoric has increased significantly (Bizzell et al. iii). This prompted them to reformat the book to consider works that were previously difficult to represent accurately. Thus, the authors conduct a scientific study of all theoretical rhetoric, allowing readers to understand its development.
Due to the structure of the work, it is difficult to single out any dominant theme. Each of the philosophers described rhetoric based on their own teaching. However, one common theme is the connection between language and its relationship with reality, thoughts, and actions (Bizzell et al. iv). This prevailing idea is the basis for this collection since the authors link presented works specifically to the language.
From my perspective, this position quite clearly captures the essence of rhetoric. Indeed, rhetoric has long been seen as a practice of oratory and the theories that develop these methods (Bizzell et al. 1). Simultaneously, as the authors note, this science contains many more aspects. They propose not to derive a specific definition but to study the whole history to understand what this science is. In this regard, it seems to me that a purely theoretical consideration of rhetoric is also an inevitable narrowing of the perspective. It reduces the possibilities for implementing the knowledge gained and increases the likelihood of biases.
Relevance
Thus, from my perspective, this book is a highly relevant source for studying rhetoric in general. The authors have collected many reflections of important rhetoricians, thanks to which anyone can get acquainted with this field. Additional comments and a particular structure of the text also make it possible to fully understand the theoretical development of the philosophy of communication from a historical perspective. Since this collection contains the works of both ancient philosophers and the most modern rhetoricians, researchers have the opportunity to understand both the foundations of science and the principles relevant to the modern marketplace.
However, appropriation and direct application of the concepts learned can be somewhat challenging. The reason for this is the strictly theoretical orientation of the presented works, which practically excludes any practical applications of rhetoric. According to Bizzell et al. (iv), despite having few practical points in their work, they favored rhetorical theory. Therefore, it will be necessary to conduct additional analysis and process the studied information to apply the learned skills. Nevertheless, even in its current form, the studied points can be helpful in some areas, such as scholarly reasoning. In addition, such a deep understanding of the philosophy of communication allows a better understanding of rhetoric as a science, facilitating its further study.