Rhetorical Minds

Todd Oakley is Professor of and Chair of Cognitive Science and Professor of English at Case Western Reserve University. His recent publications include Issue 6 of Cognitive Semiotics which he co-edited with Ana Margarida Abrantes.

• List of FiguresAcknowledgementsIntroduction: (Homo Rhetoricus)Part I: Theoretical PrerequisitesChapter 1. Starting PointsChapter 2. Homo Rhetoricus as a Creature of PresenceChapter 3. Representation and the Semiotic CircuitPart II: Evolution and Development of Homo RhetoricusChapter 4. Becoming Human: The Evolution of Homo RhetoricusChapter 5. Becoming Human: The Development of Homo RhetoricusChapter 6. The Languaging of Homo RhetoricusPart III: Discourse and Social OntologyChapter 7. Language in the World of Homo RhetoricusChapter 8. Institutions and Document ActsChapter 9. The Lifeworlds of Homo RhetoricusChapter 10. Setting Up for ‘Setting Off’ Homo RhetoricusConcluding RemarksReferencesIndex

“Rhetorical Minds is a most welcome monograph in that it covers a particularly broad and wide scope, while also going deep into core issues regarding what makes us human, how language evolved, and how human language and cognition need to be understood as inherently dialogic…[It] is very well written, with a clarity and wit that reveals a deep understanding of the matters at hand, making it both an informative and an unusually pleasant read. The book is made even more readable by its dialogic style and not too technical wording, with detailed explanations placed in notes at the end of each chapter. The many allusions to popular culture and politics make the book appealing to both scholars and general public.” • Discourse Studies“I have no doubt that this fine, timely monograph will inform and delight professors and students, cognitive scientist, writers and language enthusiasts alike.” • Esther Pascual, Zheijang University“The book has the potential to become a future “reference book” and trendsetting work for scholars of the cognitive sciences in both the States and the rest of the world.” • Anders Hougaard, University of Southern Denmark