Classical Rhetoric Vs Persuasion

According to Aristotle, certainly the most prominent rhetorical theorist in Ancient Greece and probably the most lasting rhetorical theorist in the Western tradition, an effective speech is made up of three “proofs”—logos, pathos, and ethos. Logos is the speech’s logic, pathos is the speaker’s appeal to the audience’s emotions, and ethos, finally, is “the most authoritative form of persuasion”—one that emerges

Here, Aristotle distinguishes rhetoric from all other subjects. He presents it as a global science that can be applied to all other areas of life. This is significant as it demonstrates the universality of rhetoric and supports the claim that persuasion is a natural part of human life. Therefore, an individual must have some understanding of rhetoric in order to investigate the truth, as rhetoric provides a base for all other subject matters.

Plato’s attempt in Phaedrus to establish a basis for a true art of rhetoric is seen through his characterizations and plot developments conveying themes throughout. What is true art of rhetoric? True art of rhetoric is the art of influencing soul and mind. Adapting to audience’s soul is the art of rhetoric, soul of love, soul of lust, and soul of honor. It is a means of persuasion regardless of content or a means of dialectic between two people or more who want the truth regardless of who wins. “Rhetoric is the art of directing the soul by means of speech” (Plato). Plato centers on what happens in the soul when persuasion occurs. The art of rhetoric is a soul-moving power of discourse. Discourse prompted by the love of wisdom and philosophy,

Throughout my studies at Seton Hall, particularly in Journey of Transformation and Christianity Culture and Dialogue we covered the works of Aristotle. It is interesting to learn how the Greeks were among the first to use persuasion. Aristotle defined rhetoric as “the faculty of observing in any given case, the available means of persuasion” (17). Aristotle believed that persuasion consist of artistic and inartistic proofs. When giving a persuasive speech we are able to control certain aspects of it such as the delivery, evidence and word usage which are the artistic proofs. The persuader has the ability to get creative in order to engage the audience and get his message across. However, the speaker is also subject to certain constraints such as the occasion or the time that has been allocated to the speaker

Scholars and historians of rhetoric consider the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, one of the great contributors to our present understanding of this art which, since its early origins and until present, has been a controversial field of study because of its association with persuasion and influence. However, readings of the many ancient and contemporary texts and analyses of the origins and the developments of this ancient art marginalized the role of the Sophists, who were the first to introduce rhetoric to Greece, and usually associated them with the bad reputation rhetoric has acquired over the years. Undoubtedly, Aristotle developed rhetoric in a more comprehensive and systemized explanation than what the Sophists offered, but an

Plato, Aristotle, and Isocrates set the stage for rhetoric to begin in 400 BCE and to continue even today. Nevertheless, these Sophists each had their own distinct idea of what rhetoric is and how it should be used in the public sphere. For Plato, rhetoric was a means of persuasion with disregard to truth. Aristotle, however, believed that rhetoric is a component for finding the truth. Lastly, if rhetoric is believed then it does not matter if it is the truth or not, it is still in the discourse of the public. This being the idea of Isocrates. The Sophists, Plato, Aristotle, and Isocrates represent the foundation of rhetoric. Each bringing their own piece and part to the overarching and still used idea of rhetoric today.

In definition rhetorical theory is a theory where the speaker is giving a persuasion to the audience in the form of logical, emotional, and ethical aspect. Greek philosopher Aristotle is the first person that came to up the idea of the art of persuasion, an art that is use for public speaking, where he explains that there are three types of persuasion such as, deliberative, forensic, and epideictic. Aristotle also includes that the important element of public speaking or persuasive communication is the audience. Audience is the most important aspect of persuasion, considering if there is no audience, then there is no act of persuasion.

In Aristotle’s Rhetoric, Aristotle argues that rhetoric should be used to portray the truth and to persuade people to follow the truth, not to manipulate the audience. According to Aristotle, rhetoric is both a natural method of persuasion and something that can be learned. Aristotle says, “ordinary people do this either at random or through practice and from acquired habit” (Rhetoric). There are three modes of persuasion, logos, ethos, and pathos, each used in a unique way. “The modes of persuasion are the only true constituents of the art: everything else is merely accessory,” according to Aristotle (Ibid). For rhetoric to be effective each mode of persuasion must be used correctly - ethos to exhibit ethics, logos

Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. It is possible for rhetoricians to use rhetoric for either a moral purpose or an immoral purpose. Since the usage of rhetoric and the effects it could have are controversial, evaluating Plato’s criticism with Aristotle’s explanation on rhetoric becomes relevant to help fully acknowledge the topic. For instance, in Plato’s dialogue “Gorgias,” Socrates criticizes that rhetoric is completely not related to philosophy and hinders the true facts, whereas Aristotle gives an explanation for why rhetoric is a branch of philosophy and how it can be used to persuade true knowledge in his passage “Rhetoric.” Despite the fact that Plato claims that rhetoric does not serve a genuine benefit due to the immoral use of

Aristotle’s rhetoric was one of the methods that tried to analyse the theories of persuasion, the most significant theory of effective persuasion depends on developing three sectors; Ethos, Pathos and Logos. Aristotle said:

Plato's thoughts on Rhetoric exist in the realm of the intention and persuasive nature and uses of Rhetoric. He is most

During political events, such as the presidential elections, the nominee wants the audience to vote for him or her, so they must find a way to connect to their audience. In A Philosophy of Rhetoric Campbell writes, “But as the fitness of the arguments, in these respects, depends on the capacity, education, and attainments of the hearers … this properly belongs to the consideration which the speaker ought to have of his audience, not as men in general, but as men in particular” (924). Although in A Rhetoric of Motives, Burke argues that the message is the most important part of the rhetorical triangle, Campbell argues that the speaker must think about their audience first to then tailor a way convince them. For instance, in Hillary Clinton’s attempts to gain the votes of young adults, she

Persuasion was at the centre of definitions of rhetoric in the manuals that taught Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Rhetoric, according to Aristotle in his The Rhetoric, was the faculty of observing on any given case the available means of persuasion. Phaedrus who was highly influenced by Socrates, says in his dialogue that “the intending orator is under no necessity of understanding what is likely to be thought just by the body of men who are to give judgment; nor need he know what is truly good or noble, but what will be thought so, since it is on the latter, not the former, that persuasion depends.” Plato sets up in his dialogues what would become the key views of the anti-rhetorical prejudice: the philosopher is concerned with the true and the just, while the rhetorician struggles only to appear just. Persuasion is portrayed as duplicitous and separated from

Rhetoric, Aristotle said, is “the ability, in each particular case, to see the available means of persuasion.”

Rhetoric is “the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.” (Webster's) The art of oratory reached the height of its popularity in fifth century Athens, largely due to men like Socrates, Demosthenes and Plato that perfected this style of speaking and transformed it into an artform. Aristophanes, an Ancient Athenian playwright’s, The Clouds is one of the best examples of how this artform changed the culture of Ancient Athens, which, in turn, helped to shape thinking in the Western world. From that point until present day, the art of speaking in a convincing manner (also known as rhetoric), has been a highly prized and sought after ability. In William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure and Aristophanes’ The Clouds, the characters place great importance on the skill of rhetoric. Perfecting this art insures the characters that they will be convincing in their argument, thereby, also gaining or diminishing their honor as well as the honor of the other characters.