Adoxography
Encyclopedia
Adoxography is a term coined in the late 19th century, and means "fine writing on a trivial or base subject." It was a form of rhetorical exercise “in which the legitimate methods of the encomium are applied to persons or objects in themselves obviously unworthy of praise, as being trivial, ugly, useless, ridiculous, dangerous or vicious” — see Arthur S. Pease, ‘Things Without Honor’, Classical Philology Vol. XXI (1926) 27, at 28-9. Pease surveys this field from its origins with the defence of Helen ascribed to Gorgias, and cites De Quincey’s On Murder Considered as one of the Fine Arts
and Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass
as modern examples. Pease suggests that the skill was taught in ancient Greece, where the matters known to have been praised included gout, blindness, deafness, old age, negligence, adultery, flies, gnats, bedbugs, smoke, and dung.
The art was rediscovered during the revival of rhetoric
in the 16th century. Among the best known and most influential examples was Erasmus’ Moriae Encomium or The Praise of Folly
.
The first English treatise on the subject was Anthony Munday's 'The defence of contraries' (1593), a translation of Charles Estienne's 'Paradoxes, ce sont propos contre la commune opinion' and based on Ortensio Landi's 'Paradossi.' It contained essays that praised, amongst other things, poverty, drunkenness and stupidity. Walter K. Olson, writing in the Leisure & Arts section of the September 8, 2005, edition of The Wall Street Journal
, quotes the following passage from Sadakat Kadri, "The Trial: A History, from Socrates to O.J. Simpson": "Elizabethan schoolboys...were commonly taught adoxography, the art of eruditely praising worthless things." The passage comes in the course of an account of Sir Walter Raleigh
's trial, and Kadri observes that Munday thought lawyers could particularly learn from his book. This was a period of English history when the jury trial was assuming its modern form, and Kadri later shows that the ability to praise apparently worthless causes has been central to courtroom advocacy
for centuries. Celebrated adoxographers could therefore be said to include men such as Cicero
and Clarence Darrow
.
In modern writing, the term "Adoxography" is also used as an often humorous self-reference in writing, often in regard to humor columns or blogs.
On Murder Considered as one of the Fine Arts
"On Murder Considered as one of the Fine Arts" is an essay by Thomas De Quincey first published in 1827 in Blackwood's Magazine. The essay is a fictional, satirical account of an address made to a gentleman's club concerning the aesthetic appreciation of murder...
and Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass
Through the Looking-Glass
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There is a work of literature by Lewis Carroll . It is the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
as modern examples. Pease suggests that the skill was taught in ancient Greece, where the matters known to have been praised included gout, blindness, deafness, old age, negligence, adultery, flies, gnats, bedbugs, smoke, and dung.
The art was rediscovered during the revival of rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
in the 16th century. Among the best known and most influential examples was Erasmus’ Moriae Encomium or The Praise of Folly
The Praise of Folly
In Praise of Folly is an essay written in 1509 by Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam and first printed in 1511...
.
The first English treatise on the subject was Anthony Munday's 'The defence of contraries' (1593), a translation of Charles Estienne's 'Paradoxes, ce sont propos contre la commune opinion' and based on Ortensio Landi's 'Paradossi.' It contained essays that praised, amongst other things, poverty, drunkenness and stupidity. Walter K. Olson, writing in the Leisure & Arts section of the September 8, 2005, edition of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, quotes the following passage from Sadakat Kadri, "The Trial: A History, from Socrates to O.J. Simpson": "Elizabethan schoolboys...were commonly taught adoxography, the art of eruditely praising worthless things." The passage comes in the course of an account of Sir Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
's trial, and Kadri observes that Munday thought lawyers could particularly learn from his book. This was a period of English history when the jury trial was assuming its modern form, and Kadri later shows that the ability to praise apparently worthless causes has been central to courtroom advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
for centuries. Celebrated adoxographers could therefore be said to include men such as Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
and Clarence Darrow
Clarence Darrow
Clarence Seward Darrow was an American lawyer and leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union, best known for defending teenage thrill killers Leopold and Loeb in their trial for murdering 14-year-old Robert "Bobby" Franks and defending John T...
.
In modern writing, the term "Adoxography" is also used as an often humorous self-reference in writing, often in regard to humor columns or blogs.