Neo-Aristotelianism (Literature)

Neo-Aristotelianism is a view of literature and rhetorical criticism propagated by the Chicago School[1] -- Ronald S. Crane, Elder Olson, Richard McKeon, Wayne Booth, and others -- which means.

> "A view of literature and criticism which takes a pluralistic attitude toward the history of literature and seeks to view literary works and critical theories intrinsically"[2]

Neo-Aristotelianism was one of the first rhetorical methods of criticism.[3] Its central features were first suggested in Herbert A. Wichelns' "The Literary Criticism of Oratory" in 1925. It focused on analyzing the methodology behind a speech's ability to convey an idea to its audience.[4] In 1943, Neo-Aristotelianism was further publicized, gaining popularity after William Norwood Brigance published A History and Criticism of American Public Address.[5]

Unlike rhetorical criticism, which concentrates on the study of speeches and the immediate effect of rhetoric on an audience,[6] Neo-Aristotelianism "led to the study of a single speaker because the sheer number of topics to cover relating to the rhetor and the speech made dealing with more than a single speaker virtually impossible. Thus, various speeches by different rhetors related by form of topic were not included in the scope of rhetorical criticism."[7]

## "The Literary Criticism of Oratory"

Wichelns' work was one of the first that introduced Neo-Aristotelianism. It narrowed down speech to 12 key topics to be studied, similar to many of the topics discussed by Aristotle in the Rhetoric. His topics for speech critique include:

* Speaker's personality
* Character of the speaker (how the audience views a speaker)
* Audience
* Major ideas
* Motives to which the speaker appealed
* Nature of the speaker's proof (credibility)
* Speaker's judgment of human nature in the audience
* Arrangement
* Mode of expression
* Speech preparation
* Delivery
* Effect of the discourse on the immediate audience and long-term effects[8]

According to Mark S. Klyn, author of Towards a Pluralistic Rhetorical Criticism, "The Literary Criticism of Oratory" provided "substance and structure to a study which heretofore had been formless and ephemeral [...] it literally created the modern discipline of rhetorical criticism."[9] Thus regardless of the lack of detail on these topics, it provided a modern structure of critiquing and analyzing speech via Neo-Aristotelianism, according to Donald C. Bryant.[10]

## See also

* New rhetorics

## References

1. ↑ James P. Beasley, A Prehistory of Rhetoric and Composition: New Rhetoric and Neo-Aristotelianism at the University of Chicago, 1947--1959, ProQuest, 2007, pp.129
2. ↑ http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/glossary/Neo-Aristotelianism.html Definition from The University of Toronto National Library
3. ↑ Foss, Sonja K. (1996). Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice.. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press. p. 25. https://archive.org/details/rhetoricalcritic00foss.
4. ↑ Wichelns, Herbert A. (1925). "The Literary Criticism of Oratory". in Drummond, Alexander M.. Studies in Rhetoric and Public Speaking in Honor of James A. Winans. New York: Century. pp. 181–183.
5. ↑ Brigance, William Norwood (1943). A History and Criticism of American Public Address. New York: McGraw-Hill. https://archive.org/details/historycriticism01brig.
6. ↑ Foss., Sonja K (1996). . Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice.. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press.
7. ↑ Foss, Sonja K (1996). Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press. p. 26. https://archive.org/details/rhetoricalcritic00foss.
8. ↑ Wichelns, Herbert A. (1925). "The Literary Criticisms of Oratory," in Studies in Rhetoric and Public Speaking in Honor of James A. Winans. New York: Century. pp. 181–183.
9. ↑ Klyn, Mark S. (1968). "Toward a Pluralistic Rhetorical Criticism," in Essays on Rhetorical Criticism. New York: Random House. p. 154.
10. ↑ Bryant, Donald C. (1958). The Rhetorical Idiom: Essays in Rhetoric, Oratory, Language, and Drama. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. p. 5.

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