Polemic
A polemic is a forceful argument or controversy made against one opinion, doctrine, or person.
It is one-sided and extreme, not a debate or discussion. It often occurs in disputes.
The word is derived from the Greek polemikos (πολεμικός), meaning "warlike, hostile".
History
Polemic journalism was common in continental Europe, when defamation laws were less strict as they are now.
To support study of the polemics and controversies of the 17th-19th centuries, a British research project has placed thousands of pamphlets of that era online.
Related pages
Notes
- ↑ Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (Merriam-Webster, Springfield, MA, 2005), s.v. "polemic"
- ↑ American College Dictionary (Random House, New York)
- ↑ polemic, or polemical literature, or polemics (rhetoric). britannica.com. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
- ↑ "Pamphlet and polemic: Pamphlets as a guide to the controversies of the 17th-19th centuries". St Andrews University Library. Archived from the original on 2008-12-07. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
References
- Gallop, Jane (2004). Polemic: critical or uncritical (1 ed.). New York: Routledge. ISBN 0415972280.
- Hawthorn, Jeremy (1987). Propaganda, persuasion and polemic. Hodder Arnold. ISBN 0713164972.
- Lander, Jesse M. (2006). Inventing polemic: religion, print, and literary culture in early modern England. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521838541.
