Course directory

OCOE 2010 - Introduction to Rhetorics

OCOE 2010 · Fall semester 2026-2027

Language of tuition
English
Course type
Atelier
Number of hours
24
Credits
3

Information

Description

Demagogues, marketers, and politicians use rhetoric to influence what you think, but you are not sheep. On the political stage, in courts of law, and in the free press, the din of debate echoes on, as it has since ancient Greece. Yet even after two thousand years, questions about the use and abuse of rhetoric are ever more urgent today, as the political landscape grows increasingly polarized, and politicians swing elections with well-timed tweets.

This course investigates the relationship between persuasion and manipulation, between style and substance, between winning an argument and revealing the truth. The goal is to better understand the philosophy and history of rhetoric, and, through practice, to develop our rhetorical skills.

Prerequisites

Course taught in English Language, at least a C1 level is necessary to register for this course.

Teaching format

12 x 2h00.

We will immerse ourselves in historical speeches, from Cicero and Shakespeare to Gandhi and Martin Luther King. We will make use of famous and infamous texts and videos to examine not only the content and context of a speaker's words, but also body language, tone, technology, and audience. Most importantly, students will develop their own unique oratorical style through speaking exercises, debates, and collaborative self-critique.

Assessment

A genuine commitment is expected at each session.

Students will be evaluated on:

  • their participation and their involvement in the various tasks,
  • their progress at the end of the workshop,
  • their final presentation.

To ensure the most beneficial learning experience, students are advised to develop a thorough command of the content of their speeches and presentations. The use of AI for writing and preparing oral presentations is therefore not encouraged.

Readings

Main readings 3

  1. - Aristotle. The Art of Rhetoric. Trans. Robin Waterfield. Oxford World’s Classics: OUP, 2018

  2. - Cicero. De Inventione. http://public-library.uk/ebooks/21/27.pdf

  3. - Plato. Plato: Phaedrus. Trans. Robin Waterfield. Oxford World’s Classics: OUP, 2002

Further readings 24

  1. - Bolivar, Simon. We are not Europeans (1819)

  2. - Boudicca. This is a woman’s resolve (AD 61)

  3. - Boyega, John. Black lives have always mattered (2020)

  4. - Cato the Elder. Carthage must be destroyed (149 BC)

  5. - Churchill, Winston. We shall fight on the beaches or This was their finest hour (1940)

  6. - Demosthenes, Third Philippic (341 BC)

  7. - Eleazar Ben Yair. Let us die before we become slaves (AD 73)

  8. - Elizabeth I. I have reigned with your loves (1601)

  9. - Elizabeth II. We will be with our friends; we will be with our families; we will meet again (2020)

  10. - Gandhi, Mahatma. Quit India (1942)

  11. - Gillard, Julia. Misogyny speech. (2012)

  12. - Kennedy, John F. Ask not what your country can do for you (1961)

  13. - King, Martin Luther Jr. I Have a Dream (1963)

  14. - Leith, Sam. You Talkin’ to Me: Rhetoric from Aristotle to Obama. Profile Books, 2011. Montefiore, Simon. Voices of History: Speeches that Changed the World. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2019

  15. - Lincoln, Abraham. Gettysburg Address (1863) or Second Inaugural Address (1865)

  16. - Mandela, Nelson. Inauguration Address (1994)

  17. - Obama, Barack. Keynote Address to DNC (2004)

  18. - Reagan, Ronald. Nothing ends here (1986)

  19. - Roosevelt, Franklin. Four Freedoms and Pearl Harbor (1941)

  20. - Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar, Henry V, Sonnet: “Shall I compare the to a summer’s day”

  21. - Thucydides. Pericles' funeral oration (431 BC)

  22. - Thunberg, Greta. How dare you? (2019)

  23. - Trudeau, Pierre. Speech at Paul Sauve Arena (1980)

  24. - Wollstonecraft, Mary. A Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792)

Teaching units

Unit no.Unit type Teaching unitsTeachers Number of hoursCredits
15132Atelier Introduction to Rhetorics Julie ALLISON243
16392Atelier Introduction to Rhetorics Colin HARDAGE243
16393Atelier Introduction to Rhetorics —243
18281Atelier Introduction to Rhetorics Fergus O'CONNOR243

Teachers

  • Julie ALLISON
  • Colin HARDAGE
  • Fergus O'CONNOR

In the curricula

Contacts and resources

Contact
VLACCI Valérie