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The Passions of Rhetoric: Lessing’s Theory of Argument and the German Enlightenment

  • Book
  • © 1993

Overview

Authors:
  1. Evelyn K. Moore

    1. Kenyon College, Gambier, USA

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Part of the book series: Library of Rhetorics (LIRH, volume 3)

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Table of contents (5 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xix
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  2. The Conflict between Philosophy, Rhetoric and Theology

    • Evelyn K. Moore
    Pages 1-18

  3. Rhetoric and Theological Argumentation: Lessing on Cardano

    • Evelyn K. Moore
    Pages 19-37

  4. Johann Melchior Goeze’s Polemic against the Theatre

    • Evelyn K. Moore
    Pages 38-50

  5. Lessing contra Goeze: The Case for Rhetoric

    • Evelyn K. Moore
    Pages 51-73

  6. Conclusion

    • Evelyn K. Moore
    Pages 74-76

  7. Back Matter

    Pages 77-123
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Keywords

About this book

The goal of this book is to ascertain Lessing's views on argumentation and rhetoric. I intend to establish that these views constitute a systematic and coherent theory and to argue that for Lessing rhetoric in argument can yield philosophical truth. Analysis of Lessing's views also sheds light on the general significance of rhetoric in the 18th century. The denial that rhetoric has claims to truth is a long-standing prejudice of Western thought. This position is evident in Kant's rejection of rhetoric in philosophical discourse. But in my view, the situation in the 18th century in Germany was somewhat more complex. Rhetoric did not die a quiet death but was very much alive in polemical tracts, and Lessing was a pivotal figure in a culture dominated by argument and disputation. I asked myself why and how this polemical age came to an end and how does the rejection of polemics by the 19th century affect our understanding of the 18th century? In the Introduction, I address some of these questions and establish a historical framework for the development of polemics in the 18th century. Another reason this polemical age has traditionally been seen as problematic for the scholars of the period is because argument, disputation and debate cannot be submitted to the same easy analysis as the systematic treatises produced at the end of the century.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Kenyon College, Gambier, USA

    Evelyn K. Moore

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: The Passions of Rhetoric: Lessing’s Theory of Argument and the German Enlightenment

  • Authors: Evelyn K. Moore

  • Series Title: Library of Rhetorics

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1996-2

  • Publisher: Springer Dordrecht

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

  • Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 1993

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-7923-2308-2Published: 31 October 1993

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-94-010-4881-1Published: 25 September 2012

  • eBook ISBN: 978-94-011-1996-2Published: 06 December 2012

  • Series ISSN: 0929-6298

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIX, 123

  • Topics: Comparative Literature, History, general, Philosophy of Language

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