Ramus

Scholasticism + Paris - linked to the Roman Catholic Church

(Ramus's arguments took on overtones of religious reform)

Ramus' Invention

10 topics: Causes Effects Subjects Adjuncts Opposites Comparisons Names Divisions Definitions Witnesses These topics are universally applicable. Dialectic (which in classical systems was usually relegated to dealing only with probably knowledge) becomes a method for testing truth in any sphere of knowledge.

Bifurcated tree diagrams (general -> specific); dichotomous diagrams

A spatial relationship with knowledge, a visual relationship w/ language Literacy; mechanical printing Influenced modern fields of document design and technical writing His versions of invention and arrangement = universally applicable methods of inquiry

"Arguments of Rhetoric Against Quintillian"

Ramus Anticipate the withering of rhetoric Denies that the orator must be a good man or that moral philosophy has anything to do with rhetoric Severely limits rhetoric's domain To Quintilian: your advice on invention and arrangement are useless Ramus is arrogant He insults his adversaries; agonistic tone He does not trouble to make arguments supporting his own position He assumes that his readers are thoroughly familiar with his other works He assumes that his readers are familiar with Quintilian Ramus begins his attack on Quintilian with a critique of the concept of the ideal orator. The orator can be defined only by qualities for which his art gives precepts (rules, guidelines). Rhetoric gives no precepts on virtue; therefore the orator cannot be defined as virtuous. Precepts on virtue are the province of moral philosophy, which is not one of the five parts into which Quintilian divides rhetoric. "two universal, general gifts"of nature to humankind Reason and Speech Dialectic deals w/ reason Grammar (the study of using language correctly) and rhetoric deal with speech Since invention and arragement are rational activties, they belong to dialectic. Rhetoric should then be divided into two parts: Embellishment (style) and delivery

Ramus' Arrangement

Should follow the structure of the syllogism Syllogism: a form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion that follows from the two. Deductive reasoning: Reasoning from the general to the specific; deriving a conclusion from comparison of general to particular premises All people are mortal. (major premise general ) Socrates is a person. (minor premise specific) Therefore, Socrates is mortal. (conclusion) Any subject, according to Ramus, can by analyzed this way. It renders other arts of memory unnecessary.

The decontextualization of knowledge that Ramist dialectic sought to accomplish had dire consequences for rhetoric.

The province of rhetoric was style + delivery alone -- Delivery = of minor importance -> rise of written communication -- Style = a study of the way to frame sentences so as to force certain reactions from recalcitrant, mentally inferior audiences Serious business = plain, unornamented style Think: Puritans

Peter Ramus

Thesis: the work of Aristotle is useless His ideas undermined the current scholastic tradition Created much controversy and disagreement Protestant Dialectic: Invention, Arrangement, memory Rhetoric: Style, Delivery In 1572, Catherine de' Medici ordered the Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre of Protestants in 1572, and Ramus was one of its victims. One story has it that the mob was directed to Ramus's college room by a fellow professor he had bested in debate. Attacked Aristotle Aristotle scholasticism scholasticism = University of Paris Therefore, Ramus attacked University of Paris He elevated the vernacular Made a space for science Threatened traditional political hierarchies

Ramus' Method

purported to give rational beings of all ages and conditions access to the great works of the human intellect—now timeless, though once they originated in a particular time and place. People could gain from the humanities whatever they might need for their own individual, private affairs.

Ramus's dominant idea:

the ability to reason was innate in normal humans. One did not need to learn it from Aristotle or any other classical source. Thus, time spent mastering the classical languages and poring over ancient texts was so much time wasted. It was better, one having learned to reason soundly, to set off on one's own pursuit of knowledge.

Ramus's theory:

unite philosophy + eloquence; separate philosophy (dialectic) and rhetoric This separation assigns what were traditionally rhetorical activities to dialectic Invention, arrangement, and memory Rhetoric = style + delivery (diminished) A person simply skilled in speaking The development of moral qualities in the orator, or even of sound thinking, is no part of rhetoric.