What has been the importance of the study of rhetoric (persuasive public speech) in the West? Without the evolution of rhetoric, today society as a whole would be completely lost. We have evolved into a human that are constantly communicating in different ways, whether that is oral, written, or emotional. We communicate daily for work, with family, and with complete strangers at the gas station. In the Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, and even Modern Time Period they emphasized rhetoric in a political aspect, emphasizing on credibility, arguments, and audience analysis. But what intrigues me is the Contemporary period where they started looking more at the behavior, and interpersonal and group communication because of the rise in technology.
I believe that mastering rhetoric is essential for the daily life. We are constantly talking and debating, always trying to persuade people. And it requires some factors, such as being connect with the person you are convincing and how the person perceives your message as well. I would say that rhetoric is a style of an argument that is filled of language devices that one can use in order to persuade his or her audience. I have learned that rhetoric is something I use constantly in my everyday life. I had not noticed I have been using the persuasive appeals of ethos, pathos and logos, that I read the website called Boundless.com (https://www.boundless.com/writing/textbooks/boundless-writing-textbook/introduction-to-the-practice-of-writing-1/rhetoric-8/rhetoric-and-argumentation-42-7909/)
Rhetoric? What do we use rhetoric for? Most of the time, we use rhetoric to persuade a type of audience. For instance, when we stare at advertisements on the road or on TV, those are considered rhetoric’s since it persuades us to do, go, or buy a certain thing that appeals to us. Rhetoric has also been seen in writing. An example would be the Declaration of Independence, but one writing piece that I want to talk about is; Thomas Paine’s, “Common Sense.”
There is a great importance in the use of rhetoric. Rhetoric is the ability to write, or speak, persuasively with the usage of figurative language, and the goal of this is to change the way someone views something. Rhetoric is often used to persuade an audience by the usage of three different methods; these methods are known as ethos, logos, and pathos. Ethos is based off of credibility, which is based off of the speaker. Logos is based off of the use of reasoning and logic. Pathos is the usage of the audience’s emotions and feelings. By using these methods, the audience is more likely to agree with the speaker. Rhetoric is important because it changes people’s opinions and outlook on things. This is important due to the fact the use of rhetoric appears in our everyday
Rhetoric is a persuasive tool, consisting of logos which is logic and reasoning, pathos which is emotional language and ethos which is character and fundamental values. Rhetoric is a fundamental thing used by pigs and importantly Squealer, whom persuade other animals to follow the pig’s decisions and needs.
Rhetoric is the study of how writers and speakers use words to influence an audience. Pathos, Logos, and Ethos are examples of rhetorical devices, where the rhetorician would appeal to an audience to prove a point. In both the Declaration of Independence and The American Crisis #1, the authors use several examples of rhetoric to persuade their audience in the 1700s, to separate themselves from England.
Since the creation of the United States of America there has constantly been a problem with civil rights. Even though African Americans fought for their freedom and rights, they are still facing similar obstacles that they were in the past. There are no real great leaders of the civil rights movement today but in the peak of the civil rights era there were two frontman that advocated for African American rights. One was Martin Luther King Jr., and the other was Malcolm. Martin Luther King Jr’s approach was very different from Malcolm X’s because he used peaceful uprising, while Malcolm X was examined as more assertive. In response to Martin Luther King Jr’s “ I Have A Dream” speech, Malcolm X delivered a speech called “ The Ballot or the Bullet”. In this speech Malcolm is trying to explain the reasons black people needed to stand against the American government. In “ The Ballot or the Bullet” Malcolm X uses the rhetorical terms of ethos, logos and pathos to persuade his listeners and readers.
Rhetoric seems like a big word but the meaning is simple- persuasion. In the book Julius Caesar, Antony and Brutus, two major characters, are fantastic at persuading the Roman citizens. When one is reading the story, they might think that both have equal amounts but when you look closer, Antony has the better rhetoric strategies. In just a few short sentences, Antony convinced the people to believe that Caesar needed revenge even though he never came out and told them that. Just a couple of minutes ago, the citizens were on Brutus’s side and thought that Caesar needed to go.
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, rhetoric is defined as “the art of speaking as a means of communication or persuasion”. In other words, rhetoric is the way a speaker convinces an audience to approach a given issue from a preferred perspective. Speakers may utilize the following appeals to win the audience's favor: ethos, logos, and pathos. Ethos refers to the speakers incorporation of the audience’s ethical responsibilities. A speaker also uses ethos to establish credibility. Logos is the speaker’s use of logic and reasoning by a way of factual evidence. Lastly, a speaker may use pathos to engage the audience's emotions. Dr. Martin Luther
Rhetoric is a significant part of our everyday lives. Whether it's convincing our friends to go to a concert on the weekend, to go to a certain place for lunch, or even convincing yourself to do something that you should but don't want to do. Rhetoric is all around us today. Billboard ads, television commercials, newspaper ads, political speeches, even news stories all try, to some degree, to sway our opinion or convince us to take some sort of action. If you take a step back to look and think about it, rhetoric, in all actuality, shapes our lives. Every day we have an array of options of things to do or things to buy. So every day, our opinion or actions are being influenced, however minutely, by rhetoric.
Rhetoric gives you an avenue to tell a story from your perspective in a way that connects with the intended audience without having to be one hundred percent substantiated. This writing style is evident in almost everything we read from billboards to Internet ads and even political speeches.
The word rhetoric is a form of literature that is used when one is trying to be effective in speaking and writing. Most people will utilize rhetoric writing at the same time they are trying to write a persuasive essay and not even know it. Not only is it used to persuade but also to motivate the reader on a specific topic or subject. I believe its the most effective style of writing and speaking that there is. This brings me back about two years ago when I wanted a fast sports car for my 17th birthday. I knew it wasn't going to come easy since my parents were very aware of my poor driving habits. This is when I realized I was going to have to be rhetoric, so I did just that. First, I researched all the important safety features the car had.
Rhetoric is a course in which students are taught the values of persuasion. And yet, behind this course is the utmost power to corrupt the world, changing it into a world of our own policies. This power, even though seldom discussed, has lead to many intriguing discoveries. One such discovery is how people are able to shape the world they live in simply by choosing the right words. Therefore those who would want the world to be a better place must protect this power. If in the wrong hands this power could cause serious damage. Several authors have striven to protect rhetoric and its power. Few agree on the matter of defining rhetoric, but they know that they must protect rhetoric from dark souls. A single definition of rhetoric must maintain a simplistic nature while incorporating every aspect of rhetoric. However, I argue that rhetoric is a means of persuading audiences of a situation and a particular reality through language and personal appeal. In order to prove this definition I will discuss how rhetoric creates a situation, the shaping of a different reality, the audience, the use of language, and the personal appeal. Finally, I will demonstrate the absolute need for rhetoric.
Rhetoric- although it may seem to be a word of specific meanings and scholarly uses, the true interpretation can have a vast range of purpose and understanding. Though things as simple as talking to your teacher, watching television, or choosing what outfit to wear in the morning all involve rhetoric, most people believe rhetoric can only be found in the world of politics. Despite government being a prime illustration of rhetoric, it can be go far beyond the deliberations of politicians. An Overview of Rhetoric analyzes various scholarly definitions by explaining, “...rhetoric is simply part of who we are as human beings: Every time we express emotions and thoughts to others with the goal of influence, we are engaged in rhetoric” (6). Keeping this idea in mind, I believe rhetoric is more strictly defined as conversation of persuasive actions that do little to advance a factual concept or idea, but is still valuable in sharing thoughts and viewpoints to incline another. Thus, I view rhetoric as a practice that could possibly result in negative action, but still holds value when attempting to influence the viewpoints of others.
Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr. and Fannie Lou Hamer all delivered powerful, persuasive speeches that will go down in history. The use of these creative individuals’ language and persuasion played a pivotal role within the civil rights movement. We can observe this in the speakers’ rhetoric devices like ethos, logos and pathos.
The term rhetoric came to life around the 8th century when sophist, who were originally poets and teachers began to spreading learning to those ready to pay. As years went by sophist focused more on expressive speech and rhetoric causing people to believe they can answer all questions. As a result, they were given the name “modern thinkers” because they knew everything, so everybody believed what they were saying. Yet Plato came along and said the sophist people were greedy people who decorated language to deceive and gain power(rhetoric). Then came along Aristotle who separated out philosophy, leaving sophism and coming to his own conclusion about rhetoric. “[The function of rhetoric] is not to persuade but to see he available means of persuasion in each case.”