Texts in Context: The Roots of the Other Renaissance
As the fifteenth century proceeded, a new wind was blowing out of the east, for both evil and good at once.
Texts in Context: The Roots of the Other Renaissance Read More »
Rhetorica: The Topoi, II. Similarity
Analogy is one of the oldest, most prevalent devices of rhetoric; as it is written, “But without a parable spake he not unto them.”
Rhetorica: The Topoi, II. Similarity Read More »
Texts in Context: The Dowry of Our Lady
At the same time as a high tide of mysticism in England, the synthesis of Christendom was collapsing, thanks in part to its founder, the papacy.
Texts in Context: The Dowry of Our Lady Read More »
Rhetorica: The Topoi, I. Definition
In this topos, we are dealing not just with “how to use a dictionary” but with “how to link two minds in the realm of being.”
Rhetorica: The Topoi, I. Definition Read More »
Texts in Context: Blood Upon the Roses
The Hundred Years’ War and the Wars of the Roses are infamously complex, so here’s an inattentive summary.
Texts in Context: Blood Upon the Roses Read More »
Rhetorica: The Common Topoi
As rhetoric is a complement to dialectic, so the topos is a complement to the syllogism. (Thrilled yet?)
Rhetorica: The Common Topoi Read More »
Rhetorica: The Fourth Ditch of Fraud
Though the topic is complex, the lesson is simple: To understand statistics, we should first learn how to.
Rhetorica: The Fourth Ditch of Fraud Read More »
Texts in Context: Behold, a Pale Horse
The sophisticated, prosperous world of the High Middle Ages was brought down almost singlehandedly by one of the smallest things in existence.
Texts in Context: Behold, a Pale Horse Read More »
Rhetorica: Of Bacon; or, The Scientific Method
Not all science is equally rigorously conducted; if you are testing a hypothesis, you are doing science—it might just not be very thorough.
Rhetorica: Of Bacon; or, The Scientific Method Read More »
Texts in Context: O Rose Thou Art Sick
Like every other time, the High Middle Ages were doomed to pass; but as they did, a certain kind of civilizational innocence seems to have gone with them.
Texts in Context: O Rose Thou Art Sick Read More »