Locke's Rhetorical Theories
Rhetoric is a “Powerful Instrument of Error and Deceit”
- John Locke While John Locke is often not attributed to as a rhetor and a fine contributor to rhetorical theory, he should be considered an influential figure of the 18th century’s “new rhetoric.” Concerning the rhetoric of discourse, Locke believed that there are three main goals to which language should seek to attain:
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Knowledge is furthermore achieved through one of three ways, and each produces different degrees of certainty:
As one might assume, Locke was also a firm believer in inductive reasoning (specific —> general), and this opinion is rooted in his four degrees of reasoning:
Because language is often misused, Locke believes it is not a good medium for conveying knowledge. He believes that knowledge is completely independent from language. Sources: Corbett, Edward P. J. "John Locke's Contributions to Rhetoric." College Composition and Communication 32.4 (1981): 423-33. JSTOR. Web. 06 Mar. 2014. "John Locke." The Rhetorical Tradition: Readings from Classical Times to the Present. Ed. Patricia Bizzell and Bruce Herzberg. Second ed. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001. 814-15. Print. |
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