Writing 137 - The Rhetoric of Force in Classical Greece

Institution:

Haverford College

Subject:

Description:

HU A.Fenton The interplay between violence and persuasion fascinated the ancient Greeks, and will make up the topic for this class. Beginning with the Iliad's conflict between Agamemnon and Achilles for supremacy among the Achaeans, Greeks regularly paired the effective use of rhetoric with the use of physical force. By reading and analyzing such authors as Sophocles, Plato and Aristophanes, we will examine the role of rhetoric in controlling and shaping violence within a democratic society. We will investigate the importance of persuasive speech in converting individual vengeance into collective justice, as well as its function of legitimizing the use of force by the state. [Carries Humanities divisional credit.] Prerequisite: Open only to first-year students as assigned by the Director of College Writing. (Satisfies the freshman writing requirement.)

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.haverford.edu

Phone Number:

(610) 896-1000

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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