The History and Theory of Rhetoric ─ An Introduction

By tracing the traditional progression of rhetoric from the Greek Sophists to contemporary theorists, The History and Theory of Rhetoric illustrates how persuasive public discourse performs essential social functions and shapes our daily worlds. Students gain a conceptual framework for evaluating and practicing persuasive writing and speaking in a wide range of settings and in both written and visual media. This new 6^th edition includes greater attention to non-Western studies, as well as contemporary developments in the rhetoric of science, feminist studies, and the media. Known for its clear writing style and contemporary examples throughout, The History and Theory of Rhetoric emphasizes the relevance of rhetoric to today’s students.

James A. Herrick is Guy Vander Jagt Professor of Communication at Hope College, USA. His publications include Argumentation: Understanding and Shaping Arguments, 6th Edition (2017) and Visions of Technological Transcendent: Human Enhancement and the Rhetoric of the Future (2017).