Rhetoric Society Quarterly Mar 1991

A reconsideration of Richard M. Weaver's platonic idealism

Richard L. Johannesen Northern Illinois University

Abstract

Commentators have interpreted Richard M. Weaver's philosophy of rhetoric and culture from variety of perspectives, each of which captures some important aspect of Weaver's project. He has been analyzed, for instance, as an advocate of political conservatism, as inheritor of Southern Agrarian beliefs, as defender of Old South principles and contributions, as cultural critic, as rhetorical theorist, and as teacher of rhetoric.' I, and others, have characterized him as Platonic idealist.2 In opposition to this latter characterization, Charles Follette argues in his dissertation a fundamentally Christian vision constitutes the real core of Weaver's work.3 Upon reconsideration I now would modify my earlier position and take more literally and seriously Weaver's self-characterization in 1948. In making perfectly clear the premises from which he starts and the grounds of his argument, Weaver declares his willingness to be identified with those thinkers in the Platonic-Christian tradition who believe that form is prior to substance, and ideas are determinants.4 I believe the hyphen in Platonic-Christian is important as clue and guide throughout his works. His philosophical assumptions and world view stem from an emergent heritage and reflect synthesis of the two traditions. Elsewhere I have demonstrated at length the ways in which Weaver's descriptions of idealist assumptions routinely reflect Platonic idealism.5 And to

Journal
Rhetoric Society Quarterly
Published
1991-03-01
DOI
10.1080/02773949109390912
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rhetorical criticism graduate education teacher development
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References (50) · 1 in this index

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