Identify The Four Periods Of Rhetorical Study

Question 1

Classical Period (500 B.C. - 400 C.E)

Answer 1

With the rise of Greek democracy, public communication became an important tool for problem solving. Rhetoric, the study of “the available means of persuasion”, was a respected discipline taught by the great philosophers. The first known communication model, the canons of rhetoric, divided rhetoric into five parts: invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. Classical rhetoric emphasized credibility, ways to ground arguments, and audience analysis. Major figures included Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Cicero, and Quintilian.

Question 2

Medieval Period and the Renaissance (400-1600)

Answer 2

In response to the rise of monolithic Christianity, rhetoric became secondary to theology. Major rhetorical acts were letter writing and preaching. Parts of the classical paradigm were kept alive, but the focus was prescriptive, not theoretical. Rhetoricians emphasized methods of embellishing and amplifying rhetorical style. Major figures included Augustine, Cassiodorus, John of Salisbury, and Erasmus.

Question 3

Modern Period (1600-1900)

Answer 3

Once again, public rhetoric was a major force in determining public policy. The written word became an important medium as books and newspapers became more available. Rhetoric followed four paths: classical rhetoric revived the work of the ancients. Psychological/epistemological rhetoric investigated receivers’ psychological responses to persuasive messages. Belletristic rhetoric saw written and spoken communication as art and developed theories of rhetorical criticism. Elocutionists focused on developing elaborate rules for delivery. Major figures were Francis Bacon, René Descartes, John Locke, Fénelon, Lord Kames, George Campbell, Joseph Priestley, and Thomas De Quincey.

Question 4

Contemporary Period (1900-present)

Answer 4

Modern departments of communication were formed. Communication study took two paths: rhetoricians used humanistic methods to analyze rhetorical effects of public discourse. Communication theorists used scientific methods to analyze communication behavior as a social science. Communication study expanded to include interpersonal and group, as well as public, communication. The rise of electronic media signaled additional changes in communication study.