Compendious Conversations: The Method of Dialogue in the Early EnlightenmentKevin Lee Cope P. Lang, 1992 - 424 pages The abundance of information entering the discourse of both English and continental Enlightenments encouraged the exploration of new or the renovation of old genres and disciplines. Dialogue, the most flexible, responsive, and spontaneous of forms, became not only the preferred, but often the dominant method for the retention, evaluation, analysis, and communication of new worlds of knowledge and for the expunging of old worlds of error. The contributors to Compendious Conversations take advantage of the recent expansion of literary studies into vast catalogues of overlooked works, from dialogical contemplations of Socrates to midnight marital conversations, to consider the status of dialogue as both a literary mode and a philosophical method. They propose the most comprehensive study to date of the social, literary, and philosophical history of the form linking Shakespeare's declamation with Coleridge's table talk. |
Contents
GRANT HOLLY Hobart and William Smith College | 15 |
X | 31 |
PHEROZE WADIA Rutgers University | 34 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
appear argument attempt audience becomes begins believe Boswell Boswell's called century characters communicate continue conversation course critical Defoe described dialogue discourse discussion effect eighteenth eighteenth-century England English essay example expression fact female figure final give human Hume Hume's ideas important interest James John Johnson Journal kind language later letter literary London manner means mind moral narrative narrator nature never newspaper NOTES novel object observed once original Oxford participants perhaps person philosophical play Plot political Pope position possible present Press printed provides question reader reason record references represent reveals rhetorical Roxana seems sense social society Socrates speaking speech story style suggests takes talk tells things thought truth turn University University Press voice woman women writing York