Advances in the History of Rhetoric Jan 2013

Anxieties of Legitimacy: The Origins and Influence of the “Classicist Stance” in American Rhetoric Studies

Elizabeth Kalbfleisch James Madison University

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article describes an origin of the “classicist stance,” Nan Johnson's term for the emphasis on the classical past in American rhetoric historiography. It argues that adherence to the classical past arises from an anxiety about conducting research evident in the field in the early twentieth century, an anxiety that develops into fears about institutional legitimacy later in the century. The article closes by urging scholars of rhetoric in the modern era to embrace print modernity as their researh framework, rather than classicism.

Journal
Advances in the History of Rhetoric
Published
2013-01-01
DOI
10.1080/15362426.2013.764833
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Topics
rhetorical criticism archival research
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

  1. Kalbfleisch (2016)
    ImitatioReconsidered
    Pedagogy
  2. Simonson (2014)
    Reinventing Invention, Again
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly

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