Search

In this paper, I reflect on the rhetorical origins of the constructivist tradition and its current revival in this latter discipline. I begin with a brief history of the evolution of rhetorical thinking from its origin in antiquity, considering its subsequent conversion into a mere treatise on stylistic resources; this understanding of rhetoric would last for centuries in the West, and would lead it to its decline, until it later recovered during the twentieth century. Its development over the last hundred years is summarised on three levels: (1) restoration of the tradition inherited (inventory of tropes and figures of speech), (2) recovery of all five rhetorical operations and their political and social reuse and (3) configuration of constructivist rhetoric. This third level is my proposal. I define our understanding of the totality of discursiverhetorical strategies, and the construction of diverse rhetorical speeches, as the way we make conscious our cognitive experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reflects on the secular mistreatment of fantasy genre. The inquisition this kind of literature has suffered has its origin in two events whose influences have endured centuries: on the one hand, the biased interpretation of Aristotle's Poetics, particularly of the concepts of mimesis and verisimilitude, and, on the other hand, Christian (and Catholic, in particular) prejudices against the artist's creative imagination. Both facts influenced greatly Spanish literature, a literature traditionally considered as an epitome of realism, but in which fantasy can be traced even in Cervantes himself (as we shall see), yet it appears in a hidden way in order to avoid retaliation or criticism. We will have to wait until the Romantic age to end (briefly) with fantasy's misfortunes and to defend fantasy's capacity to transmit realities belonging to human nature in the same level than the realist ones. Following this Romantic line, today can be found several schools of thought which vindicate fantasy as a vehicle for a symbolic reality, an imagined or created reality, but a deep reality belonging to human beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of English as a channel of knowledge for Borges is shown in this work, not only of Anglo-Saxon culture but other cultures, such as the eastern end, middle eastern and ancient Germanic literature, with great presence intermediary his work. And call the set of his essays, manuals and literary anthologies, to mediate between these cultures and the Latin field of Spanish language. Borges provided in these works a series of data to be converted, thereafter, in search center and of interest to Latino readers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the genre of Andrzej Szczeklik's second work, Kore. On Sickness, the Sick and the Search for Soul in Medicine. Marketed as a science popularization book that aims to bridge the gap between science and art, this work is indeed, from a rhetorical point of view, a hybridized rhetorical discourse mixing two different genres such as essay and homiletic genre (according to A. W. Halsall's rhetorical genres theory) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the mysterious connection which seems to relate madness and creative capacity. We will focus on the particular case of Friedrich Hölderlin, both a philosopher and a poet, and one of early German Romanticism most seminal thinkers. Hölderlin's personal journey into madness takes place simultaneously with his poetry's evolution into more orphic and irrational forms. Nonetheless, reputed 20th Century scholars and poets have unanimously considered these 'madness' works to be one of the greatest poetic achievements of all time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the arguments put forward by Mariano Rajoy, the leader of the Partido Popular (currently Spain's major opposition party and the principal representative of the country's right wing), in response to questions about the atmosphere of tension posed by a group of citizens during Tengo una pregunta para usted (2007), a television programme in which 100 representatives from a cross section of society quiz leading politicians on a wide range of issues. The theoretical-methodological approach is based on concepts taken from discourse analysis and a cognitive perspective, as well as from rhetoric, argumentation theory and pragmadialectics. This interdisciplinary approach enables us to better address the complexity of the various levels of discursive significance and their interrelation with ideological meaning in discourse whose persuasive intentionality targets agreement between the speaker and recipients. The analysis and interpretation of the data reveals Rajoy's general lack of attention to the citizen's point of view and his tendency to break the frameworks they activate, repeatedly replacing them with his own. This indicates his interest in presenting his political programme before the television audience, rather than offering each citizen a coherent (and well-structured within a critical argument) response. In establishing his ideological position, he frequently resorts to the use of supposedly objective data (extrinsic proof), as well as the use of argumentative places, and especially the overuse of the place of essence (which for Rajoy has an overriding argumentative value). From a pragmatic perspective, he breaks the expectations generated by the speech acts used by the citizens in their questions, thereby failing to answer what he has been asked. In addition, he fails to comply with several rules by misinterpreting the citizen's intention and digressing inappropriately. Where he does accept die approach put forward, he tends to minimise die possible threat the act represents to his party's image by using a range of attenuating elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the last speech delivered in the Spanish Parliament (on 2 December 2003) by President Aznar, in which he attempts to discursively uphold the reasons for his decision to support Bushs Administration (although with a small number of troops), and prove his interpretation of events. This speech is the richest in symbolism: it was made after the end of the war and no weapons of mass destruction were found, and also because it took place several hours after the funeral service for seven Spanish intelligence agents, murdered in Iraq. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Se presentan los temas abordados en este número de la revista incluyendo las preguntas en los debates políticos, la retórica griega y el significado ideológico de discursos políticos.

This paper reflects on the secular mistreatment of fantasy genre. The inquisition this kind of literature has suffered has its origin in two events whose influences have endured centuries: on the one hand, the biased interpretation of Aristotle's Poetics, particularly of the concepts of mimesis and verisimilitude, and, on the other hand, Christian (and Catholic, in particular) prejudices against the artist's creative imagination. Both facts influenced greatly Spanish literature, a literature traditionally considered as an epitome of realism, but in which fantasy can be traced even in Cervantes himself (as we shall see), yet it appears in a hidden way in order to avoid retaliation or criticism. We will have to wait until the Romantic age to end (briefly) with fantasy's misfortunes and to defend fantasy's capacity to transmit realities belonging to human nature in the same level than the realist ones. Following this Romantic line, today can be found several schools of thought which vindicate fantasy as a vehicle for a symbolic reality, an imagined or created reality, but a deep reality belonging to human beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]