All Episodes
Displaying episodes 1 - 24 of 24 in total
Perelman's Arguments Based on the Structure of Reality
Perelman made a category of arguments that he termed to be "based on the structure of reality." Dr. Steven B. Katz joins us to discuss each of the arguments within thi...
Isocrates and Plato on Knowledge and Judgement
Isocrates believed most knowledge needed for practical judgement was contingent and more easily found by internal and external arguments. Plato believed all true knowl...
Serbian Nationalism and the Embers of Genocide
Dr. Ivana Stradner, who grew up in Serbia, discusses the rise of Serbian nationalism, Putin's strategy of increasing ethnic tensions in the region, and why we may be c...
Chaim Perelman's Quasi-Logical Arguments
Perelman made a category of arguments that he termed "quasi-logical." Quasi does not mean "fake" in this context, but just that they are similar to the arguments made ...
India's Majoritarian Autocracy
In just a few years, India has been transformed from a vibrant liberal democracy to a majoritarian autocracy under Narendra Modi. Under his Hindu majority rule, Muslim...
The State of Speech Writing and Eloquence in Norway
"A speech writer in Norway is supposed to be invisible." Kristine Dahl was working as a lawyer for the Norwegian government when she was asked to help write a speech f...
The Role of Ethos and Identification in Legal Argumentation
Cherise Bacalski, an appellate attorney who makes oral arguments at the Utah Supreme Court and Utah Court of Appeals, also took a master's degree with an emphasis in r...
Donald Trump's Tyrannical Tendencies
Properly understood, the classical image of the tyrant is not a form of government, but rather a disease of the mind. In this episode, Dr. Isaksen revisits a text he w...
Russian Imperialism and the Post-Colonial Awakening in Qazaqstan
When Dr. Azamat Junisbai grew up in Qazaqstan, he looked down on those who spoke Russian with an accent. Although he was an ethnic Qazaq born in Qazaqstan, he had abso...
The Covid Debate in Sweden
Dr. Björn Olsen is a Professor of Infection Medicine at the Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University in Sweden. He was an active participant in the public po...
Chaim Perelman's Theory of Argumentation
Dr. Richard Enos joins us to discuss Perelman's theory of argumentation and how it provides a basis for making rational arguments and decisions about values.
Demagoguery and Democracy Part 2: Defining Demagoguery and Defending Democracy
Dr. Patricia Roberts-Miller, author of "Demagoguery and Democracy," gives her definition of demagoguery, explains how and why it works, and gives us some institutional...
Demagoguery and Democracy Part 1: Vladimir's Choice and Zero-sum Politics
Dr. Patricia Roberts-Miller, author of "Demagoguery and Democracy," talks about how demagogues arise out of a demagogic culture, the forms of argument we can recognize...
Quintilian: The Master Teacher of Rhetoric
Although from humble origins, Quintilian rose to prominence in Rome as a teacher of rhetoric and became the first imperial endowed chair in rhetoric in Rome. He was a ...
Cicero: The Eloquent Defender of the Republic
Cicero gave his life defending the Roman republic from the emerging tyrants and saw rhetoric as tool to build, uphold, and defend a free and just society. In his writi...
Aristotle's Art of Rhetoric and Its Legacy
Aristotle wrote a work on rhetoric that would define a discipline. He rejected Plato's denunciation of rhetoric and showed why it is an art, a discipline, or a science...
Style, Memory, and Delivery: Mastering the Art of Public Speaking
UK award-winning public speaker, Simon Day, shares his journey from being terrified of public speaking to mastering the art, as well as some of the secrets to his succ...
Isocrates: The Father of Eloquence
Cicero called Isocrates "the father of eloquence" and said that from his school proceeded giants who had an enormous influence on Athenian society and Greek culture, b...
Orality, Literacy, and the Birth of Rhetoric
Dr. Richard L. Enos, expert on classical rhetoric, shares some of his insights on the historical moment in antiquity where rhetoric was conceived as a discipline. The ...
Connecting with Your Audience to Facilitate Change
Author and master trainer Vidar Top and Dr. Isaksen discuss how you can create a powerful connection with individuals and audiences so they can change for the better.
Slaying the Tyrant: How the Topos of the Tyrant Was Used to Defend Democracy
In ancient Greece and Rome, the topos of the tyrant was a rhetorical exercise to train students to defend democracy against rising authoritarians. Dr. Isaksen describe...
Speech Writing and Defense Against the Dark Arts in Communication
Debate champion and communication consultant Daniël Schut joins Dr. Isaksen to discuss how he coaches his clients for debates and speeches, the ethical issues in commu...
Procatalepsis: The Art of Anticipating Counterarguments.
Dr. Isaksen explains how to anticipate counterarguments in your speeches, using Barack Obama's "We the people" speech as an example of what to do, and Brutus' speech i...
Rhetorical Style
Dr. Isaksen uses examples from Martin Luther King, Steve Jobs, and Christopher Titus to explain the high, medium, and low rhetorical styles, and how and when these are...