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Pull any great author off of a
bookshelf--Homer, Cicero, Virgil, Augustine, Dante, Shakespeare--and
they have one thing in common: they didn't learn how to write or
speak from a workbook! The masters all studied classical Rhetoric
within the classical liberal arts curriculum and stood within a
tradition of literary achievements that each generation imitated and
added to.
Modern educators complain of students'
inability to write well, but why should this surprise us? Children
today receive no instruction in the art of writing well! The
problems with writing are not the children's fault, but a clear sign
that the changes schools have made to the ancient curriculum have
failed. One of the reasons schools emphasize creative
writing is because they lack the ability to teach effective
writing.
Concerning Language
In the days of the classical Christian
academies, Latin was the language of the Church and University.
Therefore, students aimed at cultivating their rhetorical skill not
merely in their native language, but in the learned languages as well.
We do not believe that the need for mastery of the learned languages skill has changed,
but that the modern contempt for classical languages will soon cease.
Nevertheless, we acknowledge that because of the great decay that classical
learning has suffered, it will take a generation to revive rhetorical
studies that ascend into the classical languages. Thus,
we must maintain a patient course that serves our
currents students best.
COURSE STRUCTURE
Following Grammar, Dialectic and Humanities, Classical Rhetoric immerses
the student in the art of effective communication. In this course,
all of the knowledge and skills previously gained are set into action,
being directed by the theory studied in Aristotle's Art of Rhetoric
and Poetics. In addition to Aristotle, students also
study the Rhetorical writings of the Roman masters Cicero and of
Quintillian.
COURSE AVAILABILITY
Rhetoric is studied after
Grammar, Dialectic and Humanities have been completed, which requires a
minimum of three years of study in the CLAA*. As CLAA students make their
way through the curriculum in preparation for the
study of Rhetoric, we will be making this course available to students
upon demand. The first students are expected to begin Classical
Rhetoric in 2010-11.
*Students transferring into the CLAA with a
strong history of classical language studies may be able to compete the
Rhetoric prerequisites in one year. |
