Synopses & Reviews
Theory has become a common language in the humanities in recent years, but its practical application as a pedagogical aid has yet to be fully addressed. In The Practice of Theory, Michael Bernard-Donals examines the connection between theory and pedagogy at the level of practice. He argues that though rhetoric links pedagogy with theory, this tradition must also connect with other human and natural sciences. A materialistic rhetoric can, he claims, reinvigorate the link between theory, teaching and practice. This book offers a sustained reflection on the production of knowledge across a range of contemporary disciplines.
Synopsis
In The Practice of Theory, Michael Bernard-Donals examines the connection between theory and pedagogy at the level of practice. He argues that though rhetoric links pedagogy with theory, this tradition must also connect with other human and natural sciences. A materialistic rhetoric can, he claims, reinvigorate the link between theory, teaching and practice. This book offers a sustained reflection on the production of knowledge across a range of contemporary disciplines.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 239-246) and index.
Table of Contents
1. Gorgias, Phaedrus, and the rhetorical formulation of the extra-discursive; 2. Aristotle on rhetoric, phronesis, and practical knowledge; 3. A rhetorical reading of the human sciences: towards antifoundationalism; 4. Rorty and the mirror of nature: hermeneutics and the possibility of social change; 5. Louise Phelps and theory: towards a human science disciplined by practical wisdom; 6. Liberatory pedagogy, conceptual knowledge: towards a practical wisdom disciplined by scientific observation; 7. Toward a materialistic rhetoric: writing the conditions of the incommensurable.