OXFORD TUTORIALS

RHETORIC ATRIUM



Aristotle's treatise, On Rhetoric (free E-text/Adobe)
trans. W. Rhys Roberts (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924)
(Revised cover/page 1.)

Annotated Outlines:

1) Aristotle, On Rhetoric;
2) Mortimer Adler, How to Read a Book;
3) Joseph Williams, Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity & Grace




Rhetoric: Reading Schedule
 

First Semester
     Click here for the Master Calendar (with Holidays, etc.)

WEEK
  1. Aristotle, On Rhetoric, Bk. I, Chaps. 1-15
        (Kennedy: pp. 25-118; Roberts: pp. 1-41) 
Study Questions 1-10
Study Questions 11-20
Study Questions 21-30
Study Questions 31-37
  2. Aristotle, On Rhetoric, Bk. II, Chaps. 1-26
        (Kennedy: pp. 119-215; Roberts: pp. 41-84) 
Study Questions 1-10
Study Questions 11-20
Study Questions 21-30
  3. Aristotle, On Rhetoric, Bk. III, Chaps. 1-20
        (Kennedy: pp. 216-282; Roberts: pp. 84-115)
Study Questions 1-10
Study Questions 11-20
  4. Adler, How to Read a Book, Chap. 1-7, pp. 3-95
Study Questions 1-7
  5. Adler, How to Read a Book, Chap. 8-12, pp. 96-188
Study Questions 8-15
  6. Adler, How to Read a Book, Chap. 13-21, pp. 191-346
Study Questions 16-25
  7. Williams, Style, Lessons 1-5, pp. 1-117
Study Questions 1-15
  8. Williams, Style, Lessons 6-10, pp. 118-249
Study Questions 16-30
  9. MacArthur, Historic Speeches, pp. 1-62
10. MacArthur, Historic Speeches, pp. 63-150  
11. MacArthur, Historic Speeches, pp. 151-260  
12. MacArthur, Historic Speeches, pp. 265-334
13. MacArthur, Historic Speeches, pp. 335-424
14. MacArthur, Historic Speeches, pp. 425-500    
15. 1/8- Plato, The Gorgias, pp. 1-75
16. 1/15- Plato, The Gorgias, pp. 76-149

Second Semester
WEEK
  1. Safire, Great Speeches in History, pp. 41-121:
       Memorials & Patriotic Sp. (All);
       War & Revolution Sp. (Cataline-Chief Joseph)
  2. Safire, Great Speeches in History, pp. 122-215
       War & Revolution (W. Wilson) through
       Tributes & Eulogies (Will Rogers)
  3. Safire, Great Speeches in History, pp. 216-306
       Tributes & Eulogies (Stanley Baldwin) through
        Debates & Argumentation (Stephen Douglas)
  4. Safire, Great Speeches in History, pp. 307-389    
        Debates & Argumentation (J.C. Breckinridge)
          through  Trials (All)    
  5. Safire, Great Speeches in History, pp. 393-485
         Gallows & Farewell Sp. (All) through
         Sermons (John Witherspoon)
  6. Safire, Great Speeches in History, pp. 485-588
         Sermons (Chief Red Jacket) through   
         Inspirational Speeches (All) 
  7. Safire, Great Speeches in History, pp. 591-689
         Lectures & Instructive Sp. (All) through
         Sp. of Social Responsibility (W.L. Garrison)
  8. Safire, Great Speeches in History, pp. 690-762
          Sp. of Social Responsibility (Chief Seattle)
          through Sp. of Social Responsibility (Bhutto)
  9. Safire, Great Speeches in History, pp. 765-850
          Media Speeches (All)
10. Safire, Great Speeches in History, pp. 853-941
          Political Speeches (Demosthenes) through
          Political Speeches (F.D. Roosevelt)
11. Safire, Great Speeches in History, pp. 942-1024
          Political Speeches (W. Churchill) through
          Political Speeches (Ronald Reagan)
12. Safire, Great Speeches in History, pp. 1025-END
          Political Speeches (Jeane Kirkpatrick)
          through Commencement Speeches (All)
13. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, Chaps. 1-5, pp. 1-83
14. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, Chaps. 6-9, pp. 85-172   
15. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Bks. I-III.3, pp. 3-68
16. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Bks. III.4-IV, pp. 69-136
   
Proposed Essay Topics
(Yet to be determined.)
1. Should the Ten Commandments be posted in public schools?  
     Why?/Why not? (50-250 words)
2. Is religion a 'crutch' which prevents followers from thinking
     on their own?  Why?/Why not? (50-250 words)
3. Should the Boy Scouts be required to allow and accept openly
     gay scouts and scout leaders?  Why?/Why not? (50-250 words)
4. Should the right to privacy include a mother's right to terminate
     the pregnancy of an unborn child?  Why?/Why not? (50-250 words)
5. Does it constitute a violation of the First Amendment as an
     "establishment of religion" for public schools to teach creation or
     design? Why?/Why not? (50-250 words)
6. Should the federal government allow researchers to use stem
     cells derived from human embryos?  Why?/Why not? (50-250 words)
7. Should illegal immigrants from Mexico be awarded a general
     amnesty?  Why?/Why not? (50-250 words) 
8. Are Americans who believe in the Virgin Birth less "enlightened" than those
      who believe in Darwin's theory of evolution (as asserted by N.Y. Times
      columnist Gary Wills)?  Why?  Why not?   (200-400 words)
9. Should the death penalty ever be allowed for juveniles? Why?   Why not?
     (200-400 words)
10. Should religion be kept out of politics (as asserted by Seattle Times
      columnist Danny Westneat)l? Why?  Why not?   (200-400 words)