Some of what we will read will be philosophical, other of it empirical. Throughout our reading we will ask why the political abides with us, what is good and bad about it, and why it is so intimately associated with the discursive. We could, of course, ignore politics rather than study it. But doing so would allow politics to become our master rather than we its. There is solace to be had in political ignorance but, as we will see, it is an expensive solace.
Political discourse makes liberal use of all such language forms and it always has.
Go through the list, look at the great range of language devices, and note how many political examples are included. Make one original and compelling point about politics and style in your paper and say why your point is so important. To accomplish this assignment, you will want to survey the conversations carefully and then isolate an important feature or theme found in the discourse examined. The theme you find may shed light on the nature of political relations, show how language and power are related, reveal the possibilities and limitations of rhetoric, teach us how politics has changed over the years, uncover some problem with the political system, etc. Because the class period of Wednesday, October 7, will be devoted to the Beschloss' book, please come to class prepared to present a precis of your argument about the book.