Rhetoric

What is rhetoric?

What is rhetoric?

The art of effective persuasion through speaking and writing.*

*Many include other mediums in rhetoric such as art, photography, video, et cetera.

Aristotle

• Greek philosopher • Born in Stagirus, northern

Greece, in 384 BC. • Studied under Plato, philosopher

and mathematician. • Writings cover physics, biology,

zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theater, music, rhetoric, linguistics, politics and government.

• Largely responsible for founding Western Philosophy.

Aristotle

• Generally credited with developing the basics of the system of rhetoric that "thereafter served as its touchstone”.[1]

• Influenced the development of rhetorical theory from ancient through modern times.

• Rhetoric is regarded by most rhetoricians as "the most important single work on persuasion ever written."[2]

[1] Bizzell, P. & Bruce Herzberg. (2000). The Rhetorical Tradition: Readings from Classical Times to the Present. NY: Bedford/St. Martin's. p.3.

[2] Golden, James L., Goodwin F. Berquist, William E. Coleman, Ruth Golden, & J.Michael Sproule (eds.). (2007). The rhetoric of Western thought: From the Mediterranean world to the global setting, 9th ed. Dubuque, IA (USA): p.67.

Three Rhetorical Appeals

These appeals can be considered persuasive strategies:

• Pathos

• Ethos

• Logos

Pathos

• Greek for 'suffering’

• Emotional appeal, but also includes an appeal to the audience's sympathies and imagination.

• Often in the form of anecdotes/stories, emotional images or scenes – anything that elicits a heartfelt response from the viewer.

• Think sympathy.

Ethos

• Greek for 'character’

• Refers to the trustworthiness or credibility of the persuader.

• Exists independently from the message--his or her expertise in the field, or his or her previous record or integrity.

• Often in the form of a quote, testimony or suggestion from an expert or respected figure for the given topic.

• Think character.

Logos

• Greek for 'word’

• Refers to the internal consistency of the message -- the clarity of the claim, the logic of its reasoning, and the effectiveness of its supporting evidence.

• Often comes in the form of facts, figures, statistics, scientific data and research findings.

• Think logic.