On the morning of September 1, 1960, Herb Klein and Pierre Salinger met in the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., to discuss the details of what would be the first televised presidential debate. Klein was press secretary for Republican candidate Vice President Richard Nixon and Salinger was press secretary for Democratic candidate Senator John…

Argues that the rhetorical action of Edmund Burke's classic defense of political parties is its inducement to see that, by interpreting political culture as he does, reader and author collaborate in the recovery of public virtue. (RS)

Analyzes Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.'s dissenting position on Vietnam by considering it as representative of the mode of foreign policy argument called "technocratic realism." Argues that such dissent can offer only an incomplete critique of U.S. foreign policy, because it does not question the policy's underlying purposes. (SR)

Offers a historical perspective on the problems that plague policy debate. Reviews the recent evolution of competitive intercollegiate debate. Draws four conclusions from the analysis and makes suggestions for the future of debate. (PRA)

The most important historical theory of persuasion is Aristotelian Rhetorical Theory. Aristotle's work, "The Rhetoric," is divided into three books, each of which discuss principles relevant to persuasion. Book One establishes the philosophical position of rhetoric to logic; establishes the purposes of rhetoric; discusses three types of…

Sketches a brief history of the 1858 debates and analyzes their argumentative patterns. Speculates about the transformation of controversial questions through public debate. (PD)

Examines Freud's Clark Conference Lectures in which he offers a case in point of the intersection among knowledge, power, and discourse. Argues that Freud's rhetorical action constituted the "new" knowledge of psychoanalysis, while simultaneously forging relationships between the scientific and medical communities that endowed the…

Enlightens the origins of argumentation theory through a description of the evolution of the concept and practice of philosophically oriented discussion. Describes how Plato adapted the sophistic concept of "dialegesthai" and how that adaptation is tied to his bifurcation of rhetoric and philosophy. (RS)

Narrates how the American Forensic Association (AFA) evolved in ways that involved both adaptation and consistency. Describes issues that have driven the AFA's agenda in the first 50 years. Considers the style through which the organization's members have addressed these issues. Notes that the growth of forensics was not isolated from the growth…

Summarizes the preceding essays in this publication and speculates about their implications for the future of the American Forensic Association (AFA) as the association salutes its Golden Anniversary. Considers the impact the changes in forensics will have on the AFA. (NH)

The particular way in which songs (and especially the songs of social movements) accumulate persuasive force has been the subject of much scholarly inquiry. This paper investigates the rhetorical power of the popular musical text, "We Shall Overcome," arguing that the song endures as an almost expected rhetorical feature of any social…

This essay analyzes Kenneth Burke's speech ("Revolutionary Symbolism") to the 1935 Writers Congress, a congress intended to explore the relationship between politics and art, and controlled closely by the American Communist Party. The essay maintains that Burke was prepared to offer to the Communist Party and to all…

Rufus Choate, a Massachusetts lawyer and orator, has been described as a "unique and romantic phenomenon" in America's history. Born in 1799 in Essex, Massachusetts, Choate graduated from Dartmouth College and attended Harvard Law School. Choate's goal was to be the top in his profession. Daniel Webster was Choate's hero. Choate became…

Presents a history of the American Forensic Association regarding its splintering within the forensic community. Discusses the incorporation of the National Individual Events Tournament (NIET). Considers how the NIET Committee has encouraged research projects related to forensic pedagogy as well as other issues related to forensics. (NH)

Sketches forensic activities which predate the American Forensic Association's 50-year history. Notes forensic activities and terminology have changed as cultures, philosophies, and educational practices have changed, and future changes are inevitable. (NH)