During the course, we will equip you with an extensive toolbox that you will then use to analyse and evaluate texts in which persuasion and argumentation are fundamental, e.g., political speeches, TED-talks, op-eds, TikTok-videos, and contributions to online discussion platforms. In the first part, you will learn the concepts and methods central to rhetoric, such as the “means of persuasion”, the  “parts of the speech”, and “stylistic figures”.

The second part of the course is focused on argumentation theory, and you will learn how to do “argument-checking” with the classification framework of the Periodic Table of Arguments. Based on the knowledge and skills acquired during the course, we will discuss the societal relevance of rhetoric, argumentation theory, and critical thinking, and reflect upon the power of persuasion in the information age.

Coordinator

Dr. Jean Wagemans & Bertijn van der Steenhoven

Timetable

All lectures will take place on-campus and we assume you can be physically present during the scheduled hours. You can find the timetable on Datanose.

Registration

Registration is possible for students participating in an Honours program. The registration period for the Honours courses will be from Thursday, June 4, 10:00 am to Monday, June 8, 11:59 pm. You can register through the online registration form that will appear on Honoursmodules IIS. (registration is NOT through SIS).

Please note: Placement is not guaranteed if you register after June 8, so make sure you register on time. You will hear which course(s) you are registered for before the end of June.

For questions about registration, please contact us at: Honours-iis@uva.nl.