Rutter, R. (1991). History, rhetoric, and humanism: Toward a more comprehensive definition of technical communication. In J. Johnson-Eiola & S. A. Selber’s (Eds.) (2004), Central Works in Technical Communication (pp. 20-34). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

In Russel Rutter’s (1991) article “History, Rhetoric, and Humanism: Toward a More Comprehensive Definition of Technical Communication,” he explored “the ways in which the practice of technical communication might be affected for the better by contextualization of the discipline – by increased attention to its origin and development and to the tradition of humanistic rhetoric and the oratorical ideal to which it rightfully belongs” (p. 22). Rutter examined the state of technical communication as it currently is by summarizing the theories of past rhetoricians, scientists, and philosophers, utilizing the analogy of light and fruit, highlighting the rhetorical nature and dynamic nature of technical communication, and emphasizing the importance of a liberal education. Rutter’s purpose was to demonstrate that the most appropriate solution is a “liberal education grounded in oratorical traditions that emphasize the mastery of rhetoric for use in the active life” (p. 32). Rutter’s intended audience was scholars of technical communication and educators of the subject. Rutter displayed extensive knowledge of research from previous scholars with pieces of his own research integrated into the essay, but his argument could have been condensed if there were more concise summaries of philosophies and fewer analogies.