Abstract

RAMIREZ TREJO, Arturo E.. Rhetoric in New Spain: Origin, Development, and Doctrine (16th-18th). Nova tellus [online]. 2012, vol.30, n.1, pp.149-165. ISSN 0185-3058.

Rhetoric in New Spain was born in the wake of the rhetorical model theorized by Aristotle. The local circumstances during the conquest and Christianization of the indigenous peoples favored the development of epichoric shapes: disputation, encomium and teaching. It grew out of the rhetorical Classical theory, as is clear both from the teaching environment and the assembly. In other words, it was attested both in theory and in practice, according to the now available manuscripts and printed documents of that time. The aim of rhetoric in New Spain was persuasion and it treated subjects such as its own definition, the topics and speech structure, among other aspects. Still, without defiling the Classical model, rhetoric in New Spain adapted these subjects to the new context. Regarding the latter issue, as we will show here, there is still much research to do, both in manuscripts and printed material hold in archives.

Keywords : Rhetoric in New Spain; rhetorical tradition; Aristotle.