Persuasion and Rhetoric

by Carlo Michelstaedter; Translated with an introduction and commentary by RussellScott Valentino, Cinzia Sartini Blum, and David J. Depew

• ISBN13: 9780300104349
• ISBN10: 0300104340
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2004-09-10
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

This translation of Carlo Michelstaedter'sPersuasion and Rhetoricbrings the powerful and original work of a seminal cultural figure to English-language readers for the first time. Ostensibly a commentary on Plato's and Aristotle's relation to the pre-Socratic philosophers, Michelstaedter's deeply personal book is an extraordinary rhetorical feat that reflects the author's struggle to make sense of modern life. This edition includes an introduction discussing his life and work, an extensive bibliography, notes to introduce each chapter, and critical notes illuminating the text. Within hours of completingPersuasion and Rhetoric,his doctoral thesis, 23-year-old Michelstaedter shot himself to death. The text he left behind has proved to be one of the most trenchant and influential studies in modern rhetoric, a work that develops Nietzschean themes and anticipates the conclusions of, among others, Martin Heidegger. Publication of the book in English is an event of great magnitude for students of Italian philosophy, rhetoric, and literature as well as the culture of Mitteleuropa.

Author Biography

Carlo Michelstaedter (1887-1910), a philosopher, painter, and poet, is considered an emblematic intellectual of the twentieth century. Russell Scott Valentino is associate professor of Russian and of comparative literature, Cinzia Sartini Blum is associate professor of Italian, and David J. Depew is professor of communication studies and executive director of the Project on the Rhetoric of Inquiry, all at the University of Iowa.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
Introduction: Carlo Michelstaedter's Persuasion and Rhetoric by David J. Depew, Russell Scott Valentino, and Cinzia Sartini Blum	ix
Persuasion and Rhetoric by Carlo Michelstaedter	1	(2)
Preface	3	(2)
PART I: On Persuasion	5	(54)
ONE Persuasion	7	(5)
TWO The Illusion of Persuasion	12	(24)
THREE The Way to Persuasion	36	(23)
PART II: On Rhetoric	59	(94)
0NE Rhetoric	61	(24)
TWO The Constitution of Rhetoric	85	(16)
THREE Rhetoric in Life	101	(52)
Notes	153	(6)
Selected Bibliography	159	(10)
Index	169