Expert on rhetorical history to speak Wednesday
To David Zarefsky, an expert on rhetorical history and presidential oratory, war and peace are more than topics for diplomats.
‘While we often think of war and peace as strictly military or diplomatic matters, I hope to explain how the public statements of the president do a lot to define the public understanding of what war is and what its goals are,’ Zarefsky said.
Zarefsky, author of six books and more than 70 scholarly articles, will deliver the first of his two lectures on the Syracuse Symposium theme of ‘Conflict: Peace and War’ in Room 500 of the Hall of Languages on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
The first lecture will focus on how former President Abraham Lincoln’s view of war and peace is reflected in his speeches, he said. Zarefsky’s second lecture in April will focus on Lyndon B. Johnson’s ability to marshal public opinion and the Vietnam War, he said.
Zarefsky said communication is not able to prevent all conflicts because sometimes there is a real conflict of interests between two nations that can only be resolved by war. But communication has the potential to show leaders of hostile nations the interests they have in common, he said.
He said he thinks current political figures have been well equipped with diplomatic rhetoric skills.
‘People who are skilled at rhetoric are able to adapt to the specific situation without pandering to an audience,’ Zarefsky said. ‘Rhetoric can be not only a useful art but noble.’
The former dean of Northwestern University’s School of Communication, Zarefsky now teaches courses in the history and criticism of U.S. public discourse with a focus on the pre-Civil War era and the 1960s, according to a Feb. 10 SU News Services release.
He is visiting Syracuse University as a Jeanette K. Watson Visiting Collaborator in the university’s Humanities Center. The two lectures are part of the Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies special series, which celebrates 100 years since the CRS department was founded at SU as the Department of Oratory in 1910.
As Zarefsky has been president of both the National Communication Association and the Rhetoric Society of America, he is a living legend in the fields of rhetoric and communication studies, said Kendall Phillips, associate dean of research and graduate studies.
‘He was a perfect addition to our centennial celebration speaker series,’ Phillips said.
The lectures directly apply to current issues, such as the power of social movements in countries and the series of recent political debates in the United States, Philips said.
‘To me, this all reminds us of the incredible power of the spoken word in helping to shape our political reality,’ Phillips said, adding Zarefsky’s studies were particularly relevant because the country is currently involved in war.
The lecture is open to the public. Phillips said he thought students interested in politics, political communication, history and American culture will find something useful in the lecture.
Grant Levine, a senior political science major, said he would consider attending the lecture.
‘If you want a position in politics or lobbying, speaking in public is really important,’ Levine said. ‘You need to be able to convince people you’re right.’
Published on February 22, 2011 at 12:00 pm
