According to Aristotle, rhetoric was discovering all possible means of persuasion. This information can be found on page 280 of chapter 21 in our textbook. I find rhetoric interesting because it seems to be an almost "dirty" way to persuade someone of something, but it is extremely important in our society.
I think rhetoric is important because it is really the process of figuring out how you can persuade someone to feel the way you want them to. Rhetoric is a practice of getting into someone's mind and basically tricking them into feeling the way you want them to. When ever politicians, lawyers, preachers, and salespeople try to convince you of something, its rhetoric they have turned to before even trying to convince you.
~Tornn
1 comment:
Rhetoric certainly has developed negative connotations, as with sayings such as "it's just rhetoric." Rhetoric is simply persuasive communication. It's not necessarily about tricking people. Aristotle certainly was concerned with ethos, the speaker's ethical stance. He also encouraged reliance on logos, or logical proof, rather than pathos, or emotional appeals. Rhetoric can be quite powerful--consider what Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speeches did for the civil rights movement. So in a sense rhetoric is neutral, but how individuals use it is not.
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