RHETORIC

BY ARISTOTLE

SUMMARY OF BOOK

It is an ancient Greek treatise on the art of persuasion, dating from the 4th century BCE. The English title varies: typically it is Rhetoric, the Art of Rhetoric, On Rhetoric, or a Treatise on Rhetoric.

As with poetics, Aristotle treats rhetoric as a science, though it is not strictly one. He believes that its study is important for a number of reasons: it can assist in the defense of truth and justice; it can persuade a less intellectual audience that fails to comprehend intellectual demonstration; and it ensures that both sides are considered. Three factors contribute to rhetoric: the personal character of the speaker, the mood that he induces in the audience, and the arguments themselves. His main tools of argumentation are the example and the enthymeme (an argument that could be reduced logically to a syllogism).

Aristotle continues to add divisions, with the application of rhetoric falling into three branches: that of the political assembly, the law courts, and the ceremonial occasion. The remainder of the work consists of further divisions and categories, together with methods of maximizing the effect of one's rhetoric. He also includes a list of nine types of fallacious reasoning, such as generalizing from a single instance, or reversing a premise to reach a false conclusion (e.g., "All young persons are immature. X is a young person. Therefore X is a immature.").

Both Rhetoric and Poetics have had lasting influences. Many still consider his Rhetoric to be helpful as a guideline for speakers, while his Poetics is in many ways a groundwork of literary criticism. While many specific areas have inevitably and long since become dated, many of Aristotle's general principles continue to underlie even modern works.

What is Aristotle's theory of rhetoric?

Aristotle taught that a speaker's ability to persuade an audience is based on how well the speaker appeals to that audience in three different areas: logos, ethos, and pathos. Considered together, these appeals form what later rhetoricians have called the rhetorical triangle.

What is logos in rhetoric?

Logos, or the appeal to logic, means to appeal to the audiences' sense of reason or logic. To use logos, the author makes clear, logical connections between ideas, and includes the use of facts and statistics. Using historical and literal analogies to make a logical argument is another strategy.

simply, ethos refers 

to persuasion based on the credibility or authority of the speaker,

 pathos refers 

to persuasion based on emotion, and

 logos refers to persuasion based on logic or reason.

What is the principle of rhetoric?

A fundamental part of rhetorical study are the Five Canons of Rhetoric. These represent not only five important steps for developing a good speech, but they also provide the order in which you should complete them. The five canons are invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery.

What are the benefits of rhetoric?

Rhetoric gives you a framework to think critically about your writing and reading choices. Knowing how to use the tools of rhetoric can improve your communication and can help more people to agree with your perspective.

What is the first rule of rhetoric?

Learning basic rhetoric will make you a better person.

The first rule of rhetoric is: know your audience. If you're going to convince someone, you have to know what will motivate them to change their mind.