On January 23, the McConnell Center hosted Martin Cothran from Memoria Press. With a strong interest in classical education, he persuaded several scholars to think about their own education. Much of modern day rhetoric tells us “What to think and what to do” over the classical style “How to think and how to do”. Cothran stated in order to get a classical education, that he recommended us to study logic and latin. Both of which are mathematical in nature and structured.
Martin Cothran went on to talk about rhetoric, which he stated meant to teach, to delight, and to move. He lectured on Aristotle, the theoretician, on Quintilian, the teacher, and Cicero, the practitioner. He discussed how Aristotle brought a much better light on rhetoric, than did Plato. Plato believed that rhetoric was unethical because it manipulated emotions.
One of the fun points of the night was examining the 3 modes of persuasion including logos, ethos, and pathos which has direct correlation to the 3 elements of rhetoric which are speech, speaker, and audience. We talked about how politicians utilize these 3 elements to gain votes, especially the importance of pathos (appeal to emotion). All advertisement today is pathos, which may be the reason politicians use appeal to emotion so often.
In classical literature and thought, a strong debate occurred over the belief that there was an “ideal man”. Modern day society and philosophers tend to disagree with that type of metaphysical dilemma. Cothran claimed that if students would go back to this idea, debate would strengthen today.
Overall, the lecture served its purpose. I know, as well as several scholars, will be picking up more Plato and Aristotle when we visit the bookstore.
Martin Cothran went on to talk about rhetoric, which he stated meant to teach, to delight, and to move. He lectured on Aristotle, the theoretician, on Quintilian, the teacher, and Cicero, the practitioner. He discussed how Aristotle brought a much better light on rhetoric, than did Plato. Plato believed that rhetoric was unethical because it manipulated emotions.
One of the fun points of the night was examining the 3 modes of persuasion including logos, ethos, and pathos which has direct correlation to the 3 elements of rhetoric which are speech, speaker, and audience. We talked about how politicians utilize these 3 elements to gain votes, especially the importance of pathos (appeal to emotion). All advertisement today is pathos, which may be the reason politicians use appeal to emotion so often.
In classical literature and thought, a strong debate occurred over the belief that there was an “ideal man”. Modern day society and philosophers tend to disagree with that type of metaphysical dilemma. Cothran claimed that if students would go back to this idea, debate would strengthen today.
Overall, the lecture served its purpose. I know, as well as several scholars, will be picking up more Plato and Aristotle when we visit the bookstore.