The Politics of Rhetoric: Richard M. Weaver and the Conservative Tradition (Contributions in Philosophy)

241 Pages·1993·13.37 MB·English

by  Bernard K. Duffy

THE POLITICS OF RHETORIC
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THE POLITICS OF
RHETORIC
Richard M. Weaver and the
Conservative Tradition
Bernard K. Duffy
&
Martin Jacobi
Contributions in Philosophy,
Number 51
GREENWOOD PRESS
Westport, Connecticut • London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Duffy, Bernard K.
The politics of rhetoric : Richard M. Weaver and the conservative
tradition / Bernard K. Duffy and Martin Jacobi.
p. cm.—(Contributions in philosophy, ISSN 0084-926X ; no.
51)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-313-25713-2 (alk. paper)
1. Weaver, Richard M., 1910-1963. 2. American literature—
Southern States—History and criticism—Theory, etc. 3. Politics
and literature—Southern States—History—20th century. 4. English
language—Rhetoric—Study and teaching—Southern States.
5. Conservatism—Southern States—History—20th century.
6. Southern States—Historiography. 7. Rhetoric—Philosophy.
I. Jacobi, Martin James, 1949- . II. Title. III. Series.
PS261.D83 1993
814'.54-^dc20 92-36514
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Copyright © 1993 by Bernard K. Duffy and Martin Jacobi
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 92-36514
ISBN: 0-313-25713-2
ISSN: 0084-926X
First published in 1993
Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
Printed in the United States of America
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984).
P
In order to keep this title in print and available to the academic community, this edition
was produced using digital reprint technology in a relatively short print run. This would
not have been attainable using traditional methods. Although the cover has been changed
from its original appearance, the text remains the same and all materials and methods
used still conform to the highest book-making standards.
Copyright Acknowledgments
The authors and publisher gratefully acknowledge permission to reprint the following copy
righted material:
Richard M. Weaver, Visions of Order: The Cultural Crisis of Our Times. Baton Rouge: Lou
isiana State University Press, 1964.
Richard M. Weaver, Language Is Sermonic: Richard M. Weaver on the Nature of Rhetoric,
edited by Richard L. Johannesen, Rennard Strickland, and Ralph T. Eubanks. Baton Rouge:
Louisiana State University Press, 1970.
Richard M. Weaver, Ideas Have Consequences. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1948.
© 1948 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. Published 1948. Paperback edition
1984.
From Life Without Prejudice and Other Essays by Richard M. Weaver, used by permission
of the publisher: Liberty Fund, Inc., 7440 North Shadeland, Indianapolis, IN 46250.
Richard M. Weaver, The Ethics of Rhetoric. Chicago: Henry Regnery, 1953. Used by per
mission of Hermagoras Press.
Richard M. Weaver, The Southern Tradition at Bay: A History of Postbellum Thought, edited
by George Core and M. E. Bradford. New Rochelle, N.Y.: Arlington, 1968. Used by permis
sion of Regnery Gateway, Inc.
The Southern Essays of Richard M. Weaver, edited by George M. Curtis and James J.
Thompson, Jr., 1987, used by permission of the publisher: Liberty Fund, Inc., 7440 North
Shadeland, Indianapolis, IN 46250.
Quotations from personal letters, speeches, college termpapers, and other material included
in the Richard M. Weaver Papers at the Heard Library at Vanderbilt University and the
Henry Regnery Papers at the Hoover Institution in Palo Alto, California, and quotations of
unpublished material collected in a dissertation on Richard M. Weaver by Thomas Goodnight,
were used by permission of Polly Weaver Beaton.
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To Elizabeth and Susan Dufiy,
and Sasha, Evan, and Andrew Jacobi
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Contents
Preface xi
List of Abbreviations xi xix
1. Introduction 1
2. Cultural Theory, Part 1 19
3. Cultural Theory, Part 2 41
4. Literary Theory 67
5. Rhetorical and Composition Theory 93
6. Science, Metaphysics, and Sectional Culture 125
7. The Rhetoric of Social Science: Brute Facts and Created Realities 143
8. General Semantics and Spacious Rhetoric 159
9. Rhetorical Genres 175
10. Conclusion 197
Works Cited 205
Index 213