{"id":12423,"date":"2026-01-12T16:06:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T21:06:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/?page_id=12423"},"modified":"2026-04-08T14:32:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T18:32:19","slug":"engl6166spring2026","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/engl6166spring2026\/","title":{"rendered":"ENGL 6166: Rhetorical Theory"},"content":{"rendered":"

ENGL 6166 Syllabus (Spring 2026)<\/a>
Assignments<\/a>
Canvas\u00a0Access<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

January 14th:<\/strong>\u00a0Introduction to Course<\/a>
<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Read Isaac Asimov\u2019s article \u201cCult of Ignorance\u201d<\/a><\/strong> (1 page)
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>-and- Gorgias\u2019 \u201cEncomium of Helen,\u201d<\/a><\/strong> Trans. Brian R. Donovan (very short)
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>-and- Isocrates\u2019 \u201cEncomium of Helen,\u201d<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 Trans. David Mirhady (very short)
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>-or- J. A. Freese Translation<\/a><\/strong>
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>-and- Susan Biesecker’s \u201cRhetoric, Possibility, and Women’s Status in Ancient Athens” (on Canvas<\/a><\/strong>)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

January 21st:<\/strong>\u00a0Plato\u2019s\u00a0Phaedrus<\/em><\/strong><\/a>
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Available online here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

January 28th:<\/strong> Aristotle’s\u00a0On Rhetoric<\/em> Book 1<\/strong><\/a>
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Available Online Here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

February 4th:\u00a0<\/strong>Isocrates selections<\/strong><\/a>
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Available through Atkins Library<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(Login to your account first)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

February 11th:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>St. Augustine’s\u00a0<\/a>On Christian Doctrine [Rhetoric]
<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Available Online Here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

February 18th: <\/strong>Knoblauch. Ch. 1 and 2<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

February 25th:<\/strong> Descartes, Rene,\u00a0<\/a>Discourse on Method
<\/em><\/strong>Available Online Here<\/a>
<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Les Miserables<\/em> Selections<\/strong>
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Vol 2: Cosette, Book 1: Waterloo, Ch. 17<\/a>
<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Vol 2: Cosette, Book 1: Waterloo, Ch. 18<\/a>
<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Vol 5: Jean Valjean, Book 1: War Between 4 Walls, Ch. 5<\/a>
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Vol 5: Jean Valjean, Book 1: War B<\/a>etween<\/a> 4 Walls, Ch. 20<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Midterm Mini-Rhetorical Analysis Due<\/span>–Friday, 2\/27, 11:00 pm on Canvas<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

March 4th:\u00a0<\/strong>Knoblauch, Ch. 3 and Constitutive Rhetoric<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

March 9th \u2013 March 14th: No Class\u2014Spring Break<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

March 18th:<\/strong> No Class\u2014Read Ahead and Check Canvas<\/a><\/strong>
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Mary Wollstonecraft’s\u00a0A Vindication of the Rights of Women<\/em><\/strong><\/a>
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Available through Atkins Library Here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

March 25th:<\/strong> Containment Rhetorics and Black Women’s Rhetorics<\/strong><\/a>
<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

April 1st:<\/strong> Truth, Politics, and Hannah Arendt<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n