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| Rhetoric |
Rhetoric
Modern rhetoric is the study of techniques for effective speaking and writing. The foundations of rhetoric as a field of study lie in the classical past and rhetoric was still regarded as a standard part of a knowledgeable person’s education well into the 19th century.
In rhetoric the use of language has two aspects: form – how something is expressed; and content – what is expressed. A communication can be designed to appeal to reason (logos), to emotion (pathos), or to the characteristics of the audience (ethos).
Rhetoric has five accepted skill areas:
1. Invention – strategies for framing content such as cause and effect, comparison, specialized topics, and relations.
2. Arrangement – the elements of the structure of a presentation such as the introduction, statement of facts, arguments in support, refutation of counter arguments, and conclusion.
3. Style – the artful expression of ideas to co-ordinate the use of language with the topic, and the characteristics of audience. Julius Caesar’s phrase, “I came, I saw, I conquered”, (Veni, vidi, vici) is a classic example.
4. Memory – includes memory aids for a particular presentation; the creation of a store of general knowledge that can be used extemporaneously to supplement a presentation; and techniques to assist the audience in remembering the key points in a presentation.
5. Delivery – usually refers to oral presentations and includes volume, tone, pitch, speed, gestures, pronunciation, facial expressions, and emphasis.
Traditionally, rhetoric is applied in three principal branches of oratory:
1. Judicial oratory deals with events from the past and is used to accuse or defend in the pursuit of justice.
2. Deliberative oratory deals with the future and is used to exhort or dissuade the listeners in support of a cause.
3. Epideictic oratory deals with the present and is used to praise or criticize someone’s virtue or vice.
The ability to speak well is still highly valued, but in the early 21st century we tend to regard it as a natural talent rather than a learned skill. As a consequence, we also tend to succumb to the persuasive power of an effective speaker without making a critical analysis of content.
The movie, Thank You for Smoking (2006) provides an interesting demonstration of the potential for the misuse of rhetoric. In this movie, the principle character is a lobbyist for the tobacco industry who uses his skill in rhetoric to confound his critics.
Modern rhetoric is the study of techniques for effective speaking and writing. The foundations of rhetoric as a field of study lie in the classical past and rhetoric was still regarded as a standard part of a knowledgeable person’s education well into the 19th century.
In rhetoric the use of language has two aspects: form – how something is expressed; and content – what is expressed. A communication can be designed to appeal to reason (logos), to emotion (pathos), or to the characteristics of the audience (ethos).
Rhetoric has five accepted skill areas:
1. Invention – strategies for framing content such as cause and effect, comparison, specialized topics, and relations.
2. Arrangement – the elements of the structure of a presentation such as the introduction, statement of facts, arguments in support, refutation of counter arguments, and conclusion.
3. Style – the artful expression of ideas to co-ordinate the use of language with the topic, and the characteristics of audience. Julius Caesar’s phrase, “I came, I saw, I conquered”, (Veni, vidi, vici) is a classic example.
4. Memory – includes memory aids for a particular presentation; the creation of a store of general knowledge that can be used extemporaneously to supplement a presentation; and techniques to assist the audience in remembering the key points in a presentation.
5. Delivery – usually refers to oral presentations and includes volume, tone, pitch, speed, gestures, pronunciation, facial expressions, and emphasis.
Traditionally, rhetoric is applied in three principal branches of oratory:
1. Judicial oratory deals with events from the past and is used to accuse or defend in the pursuit of justice.
2. Deliberative oratory deals with the future and is used to exhort or dissuade the listeners in support of a cause.
3. Epideictic oratory deals with the present and is used to praise or criticize someone’s virtue or vice.
The ability to speak well is still highly valued, but in the early 21st century we tend to regard it as a natural talent rather than a learned skill. As a consequence, we also tend to succumb to the persuasive power of an effective speaker without making a critical analysis of content.
The movie, Thank You for Smoking (2006) provides an interesting demonstration of the potential for the misuse of rhetoric. In this movie, the principle character is a lobbyist for the tobacco industry who uses his skill in rhetoric to confound his critics.
