No rhetorical tool is perhaps more important to revive than stasis theory. Developed in ancient law courts, stasis theory offers immediate applications for the classical classroom.
With stasis theory, students unlock three of the most difficult elements of persuasive writing: inventing ideas, generating claims and structuring arguments. Most importantly, students are trained to position their argument at a point where they can make real progress. is session’s emphasis is practical, born out of years of using the theory as a backbone for rhetoric classes. Attendees will learn how to incorporate stasis theory into writing classrooms, where it can be used to craft short essays, argumentative papers and even a senior thesis.
Shea Ramquist
Shea is a native of Tokyo, Japan. He earned his bachelor’s degree in humanities a er studying at Biola University’s Torrey Honors Institute and Oxford University. He then earned a master’s degree in intellectual history at the University of Notre Dame, specializing in the American classical college and the rise of the modern university. In 2015, he accepted a position in the rhetoric school of Trinity Classical Academy in Santa Clarita, California, where he teaches honors courses in history, philosophy and rhetoric, including senior thesis.
