Rhetoric and Science: Two Cultures or One? David Zarefsky
Monday, 08 Apr 2013 at 7:30 pm – 101 Carver Hall
David Zarefsky is a scholar of rhetoric, author of six books and more than seventy articles on American public discourse. He has focused his research on two of the most contentious periods in American history: the years leading up to the Civil War and the decade of the 1960s. He is also known for his work on presidential communication and on the theory of argumentation. In this talk, Zarefsky will discuss how debates over policy can in fact resemble the scientific method. Rhetoric is often thought of as manipulative, partisan and self-interested, while scientific discourse is rational, dispassionate and fact-based. But are they truly opposites?David Zarefsky holds his BS, MA and PhD degrees in Communication Studies at Northwestern University, where he is also Professor Emeritus and former Dean of the School of Communication. His books include Lincoln, Douglas and Slavery: In the Crucible of Public Debate and President Johnson's War on Poverty: Rhetoric and History. His lectures on argumentation and rhetoric can be heard in a course for The Teaching Company. He is a past president of both the National Communication Association and the Rhetoric Society of America.
Cosponsored By:
- Rhetoric & Professional Communication Program
- Agronomy
- Bioethics Program
- English
- Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture
- Greenlee School of Journalism & Communication
- Speech Communication Program
- Strengthening the Professoriate @ ISU
- Committee on Lectures (funded by Student Government)
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