Andrewes, Spenser, and Reforming the Arts of Discourse

Abstract

Abstract This chapter turns from the first part of logic (dedicated to the invention or discovery of material) to the second part, which was preoccupied with the formal structures of argument in which the materials of discourse could be presented. It uses the writings of Philip Melanchthon to show how logical methods of dividing and arranging arguments became crucial weapons in the religious controversies of the mid- and late sixteenth century. After introducing the main elements of Melanchthon’s logic, the chapter presents two literary case studies that illustrate the impact of his method in Elizabethan England. Through an analysis of Spenser’s engagement with the so-called devil’s syllogism, the chapter demonstrates the importance of sound reasoning in the face of religious despair. Lastly, the chapter examines Lancelot Andrewes’ recourse to logical techniques of division and definition to resolve conflicts of conscience.