ABSTRACT
Scottish Professor of Logic and Philosophy George Jardine (1742–1827) does not appear in the history of the development of North American composition studies. He did not influence writing instruction in North America—as did his contemporary and fellow Scot Alexander Bain—and until recently, very few composition scholars recognized this Scottish rhetorician’s name. However, Jardine foreshadowed, if not influenced, many 20th-century developments in the field of composition and rhetoric. He was intensely concerned with written communication, the analysis of written texts, student-centered learning, and the preparation of students to succeed in and contribute to society. Jardine was committed to Scottish democratic educational principles, and as a result he altered his pedagogical practice to meet the changing needs of his students. His new teaching plan included assignments that prepared students for active lives in business and communication—and also addressed similar modern writing concerns: the social nature of peer editing and collaborative learning; the need for sequenced theme assignments, particularly in teaching beginning writers; the importance of writing across the curriculum assignments, which require students to examine the rhetorical nature of writing; the value of epistemic writing and process writing; and the role literature plays in writing instruction. Although now relatively obscure, Jardine was a well-known public figure and his work was highly regarded among Scottish educators during his own time. This chapter attempts to acquaint modern scholars with Jardine’s contributions to both Scottish and American education and to place him within the rich tradition of Scottish rhetorical theory.
