Exam 1 Flashcards
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Booth Definition of Rhetoric
Rhetoric holds domain over all verbal pursuits
Lanham Definition of Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the Economics of Attention
Kennedy Definition of Rhetoric
The energy inherent in emotion and thought transmitted through the system of signs
Rhetorical Discourse
The art of communication through rhetoric has 6 characteristics
Rhetorical Theory
The systematic presentation of the principles of rhetoric, descriptions of rhetoric’s various functions, and explanations of how rhetoric achieves its goal
Qualities definiing the type of discourse known as rhetoric
Planned; adapted to an audience; shaped by human motives; responsive to situation; persuasion seeking; concerned with contingent issues
Social functions of the art of rhetoric
Ideas are tested; advocacy is assisted; power is distributed; facts are discovered; knowledge is shaped; Communities are built
Three traditions in rhetoric
Magical - Gorgias
Practical - Protagoras
Sociopolitical - Isocrates
Why were the sophists contriversial in athens
The sophists claimed to be able to teach virtue and truth but many doubted their comprehension of justice. Sophist pupils seemed free from the rules and convention of the polis
When were the sophists active in Greece
322-384 BC
What beliefs and practices characterized the sophists?
The sophists believed that law was conventional and truth was relative, they also believe their practices of persuasion should be open for anybody to learn, seeing persuasion as the center of education
What specific emphases did Gorgias,Protagoras, and Isocrates bring to the teaching and practice of rhetoric?
Gorgias: magical, skeptical philosophy, magician
Psycologogas: Leads human mind/Soul, Emotions, Sound, Power
Isocrates:Political/ Psychological, Writer, Pan- Hellenism, Teacher, Goal Orientated
Protagoras: Pragmatic, Kairos, Teacher, Philosophy/ Theory, Logos, Anti-logos, Critical theory, Always questioning things, Study counter arguments
How were rhetoric and magic similar to the Greeks?
Gorgias considered rhetor to be a psychagogos(leader of souls). Poetry was thought to have supernatural origins. Rhetoric (according to Gorgias) was verbal magic capable of exerting an almost supernatural influence on an audience. `
Who was Aspasia, and why was she significant in the history of rhetoric?
A female rhetorician of the fifth century BCE, “known through a hand full of references” hailed from Miletus, a Greek colony along the coast of modern-day Turkey, Speechwriter , conversationalist, and teacher of rhetoric. Invented so-called Socratic method.
Who was Aspasia, and why significant in the history of rhetoric?
A female rhetorician of the fifth century BCE, “known through a hand full of references” hailed from Miletus, a Greek colony along the coast of modern-day Turkey, Speechwriter , conversationalist, and teacher of rhetoric. Invented so-called Socratic method.
Nomos
: Social custom or convention. Rule by agreement among the citizenry, ex: cops
Physis
law according to nature, strong dominating the weak
Techne
Greek term for an art or a discipline like medicine or navigating a boat. Plato claimed rhetoric did not belong in this category
What distinguishes a techne?
- good outcome/good result/ 2. Painful Process 3. Class of objects 4.True knowledge
Logos
Study of arguments/ One of Aristotles three artistic proofs the other two being pathos (the study of emotion) and ethos (the study character) An account or a clear and logical explation. Also a word of argument
Arete
Teaching/an ability to manage one’s personal affairs in an intelligent manner and to suceed in public life. Excellence. Natural leadership ability. Virtue. A component of eros
Pan-Hellinism
Uniting all the greek city-states isocrates
Dissoi logi
Contradictory Arguments
Psychagogos
Leader of Souls
Antithesis
placing opposite ideas near one another; Gorgias believed that the truth could emerge from a clash of fundamentally opposed positions
Kairos
Rhetorics search for relative truth rather than absolute certainty. A consideration of opposite points of view. As well as attention to such factors as time and circumstances. An oppurtune moment or sitiuation
Aporia
The effort to place doubt on a claim; if a speaker can cloud an argument in doubt the orator can make one resolution appear more likely than the other
Isegoria
The guaranteed opportunity for Athenians to speak freely in public assemblies
What is Plato’s argument against the Sophists claim that they can teach justice?
Plato believed that the sophists sought persuasion about justice by manipulating public opinion (Doxa). To Plato true justice is found in knowledge (Epistime) and secures the well being of the individual and of the city-state
What for Plato characterizes a state of harmony or health in the soul? How is this state
brought about in the soul rhetorically? That is, what role does rhetoric or persuasion play in the process of achieving health?
Rhetoric could used to address the two non-dominant parts of the soul and convince them that they could have what they loved (honor/appetite) if they submitted to the wisdom-loving part of the soul. The art of rhetoric involves using specific arguments and ways of speaking to address each part of the soul and make them obey. Once the other two were submitted to the wisdom-lover, there would be harmony.
What does a true rhetorician need to know, that is, what are the components of the rhetorician’s art for Plato?
-Knowledge of the Soul; 1.Logos-love of wisdom 2. Thymos-love of honor 3. Eros-love of appetite
-How to get the other parts of the soul to submit to the wisdom love
Goal: Harmony, Virtue, Health (wisdom soul dominates)
Doxa
A common opinion
Endoxa
A commonly held belief
Pistis
Mere belief
Episteme
Platos term for true knowledge
Tribe
A Knack
distinguishing characteristics of a techn
- Deals with a class of objects
- Painful process
- Aim at achieving a positive outcome
- True knowledge
- Usually achieves an end
How does aristotle define rhetoric
- As the counterpart to dialectic 2. the ability to identify the means of persuasion in any given situation
How does rhetoric compare with dialectic for Aristotle?
Similarities- Both start from endoxa, both have counter arguments, each can reason on either side of a case, each deals with questions that concern everyone, deal with questions that do not belong to a specific science or art
Differences-Rhetoric has an audience of a crowd, defending an idea, speech, specific issues, large audience, enthymeme, also uses character and emotion. Dialectic has an audience of experts, testing an argument, experts in reasoning, Q and A, small audience, general question, syllogism, uses only arguments
What is the art of rhetorics subject matter
“Rhetoric has its own subject matter: the means of persuasion.” (pg. 72)
What are the artistic proofs and what is each a study of?
Ethos: Proofs in the speaker (fair mindedness)- the study of human character
Logos: Proofs in the words-logic- the study of arguments
Pathos: Proofs in the audience, putting audience in right mind - the study of the psychology of emotions
Why is rhetoric a useful stud?
- Defend yourself with words
- Adapt to common audiece
- Reason on both sides of argument
- Truth needs an advocate
What are the three settings in which rhetoric typically occurs?
- Forensic -In Court, Past Tense, Justice/ injustice
- Deliberate- Assembly, Future, Expedient of resources
- Epideictic Discourse- Public Ceremony, Present, Virtue & Vice
What characterizes the enthymem
syllogism, rooted in the belief of Athenians. an argument built from values, beliefs, or knowledge held in common by a speaker and an audience.
What are the three components of etho
- Virtue - Arete
- Eurionia - Goodwill
- Phonesis - Practical Wisdom
Ethos
Study of human character
Pathos
The names and causes of various emotions
Logos
Arguments and logical reasoning
Topoi
Recurring Topics
Eunoia
Good will along with practical wisdom and virtue, a component of ethos or good character
Phronesis
Practical Wisdom
Eidei topoi
Special topics-special setting
Endoxa
Commonly Held Opinions
Eudaimonia
Human well being or happiness. The goal of legislation and thus the central concern of deliberative oratory
