Advances in the History of Rhetoric Sep 2017

The Rhetorical Education of William Jennings Bryan: Isocrates, Character, and Imitation

Christopher J. Oldenburg Illinois College ; Adam E. Enz Illinois College

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the late American nineteenth century, oratory was de rigueur. Institutionally, liberal arts colleges sought to distinguish themselves by teaching moral character. Such an ethotic education was sine qua non for any student of political oratory. This essay argues that such an emphasis on character and oratory, coupled with Illinois College’s rhetorical curriculum and extracurricular events, afforded a kairotic and didactic moment for William Jennings Bryan to learn and practice Isocrates’ brand of rhetorical paideia. Taught primarily through the use of paradigm cases and imitation, Isocrates emphasized the import of a speaker’s ethos over the art itself. Bryan shared this perspective. Drawing from both “Against the Sophists” and “Antidosis,” we conduct a comparative analysis by reading Isocrates’ ethotic-based rhetorical theory alongside of Bryan’s 1881 graduating oration entitled “Character.”

Journal
Advances in the History of Rhetoric
Published
2017-09-02
DOI
10.1080/15362426.2017.1371654
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Topics
classical rhetoric modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism teacher development argument public rhetoric
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