Education then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is a great equalizer of the conditions of men--the balance wheel of the social machinery.-- Horace Mann, 1848
English 125, Section 061 Randall Tessier
MWF 12:00-1:00 Office: 3122 AH
3437 MH Office Phone: 647-7690
Home Phone: 996-0746
The University of Michigan Office Hours: MW 1:00-3:30
Fall 2008 e-mail: rlt@umich.edu
The practical purpose of this class is to prepare you for the writing requirements expected of you at the university level. In this sense it is a service class where my role is to ensure your academic success. But since language, and its articulation in writing, is a way of attributing meaning to the world, ours is also a collaborative effort to better understand the dynamics of human experience, thus providing insight into ourselves, others, and societies different than our own. As our text’s title implies, all language, whether ordinary or complex, is a means of argument (a way of convincing an audience), and a vehicle of persuasion (a method of moving an audience from conviction to action). The rhetoric (a term that encompasses both argument and persuasion) we arrive at in composing our essays first requires that we carefully read and analyze those texts relevant to our argument. Foundational to critical reading and writing is the process of comparing what one writer says about the claims and observations of other writers. The term for this is critical thinking. While this phrase has a number of connotations, in sum it implies a willingness to engage with complex ideas, question easy assumptions about difficult subjects, formulate our own opinions, and apply these processes as a guide to belief and action. Since the art of argument requires subtlety and power, and simplicity and sophistication, having confidence in our conclusions and clarifying these ideas without resorting to empty phrases, trite clichés, or pseudo-academic jargon, is the first step on the road to becoming a better writer.
No comments:
Post a Comment