Introduction to Rhetoric

4th century B.C Aristotle’s definition “rhetoric is discovering all available means of persuasion on a topic” Rhetoric has a clear persuasive function and epistemic function, a way to discover what is known and what can be known about a subject. Rhetorical Exigence – something which motivates us to engage in the act of communicating Modern definition - rhetoric is the intentional use of language to influence an audience

5 Canons of Rhetoric Invention Arrangement - from Latin, inventio, "invention" or "discovery.“ - Systematically discovering arguments about a given topic - Includes research and prewriting Arrangement - from Latin, dispositio, "disposition" or “arrangement” - Arranging parts for greatest effect - Often referred to as "structure" or "organization."

5 Canons of Rhetoric (cont’d.) Style - from Latin, elocutio, – emphasis on spoken language - Elements include: word choice (diction) sentence/paragraph length and arrangement (syntax) figurative language

5 Canons of Rhetoric (cont’d.) Memory - from Latin, memoria - Greater emphasis in Aristotle and Plato's day - Paper and ink were much harder to come by - Plato distrusted writing - believed it became a crutch, allowing for dependence on the written text rather than developing mental skills. - Today, we rely on notes--or PowerPoint slides!

5 Canons of Rhetoric (cont’d.) Delivery - from Latin, pronuntiatio - Focus on oral presentation - Internet allows for self-publishing - Color, graphics, and other visual elements

Rhetorical Context

Rhetorical Context Aim - The speaker or writer's goal--the effect you want to have on a specific audience. Audience - The specific person or group of people you are addressing. Medium - The method of delivery--newspaper, flyer, radio or television broadcast, poster, letter, speech, academic paper, etc. Subject

Rhetorical Appeal

Rhetorical Appeal Ethos - Greek for "ethics" - Ethos = credibility, reliability, and authority as a speaker or writer - Ethos is your reputation and the strategies used to convince your audience that you should be believed and taken seriously

Rhetorical Appeal Logos - Greek for “logic” - focuses on the text itself--the data, examples, statistics, facts, reasoning, etc. - "support material”

Rhetorical Appeal Pathos - Greek root in medical terms such as pathology, pathologist, psychopath, etc. - Pathos = appealing to feelings or emotions - Focus is on the audience

Aristotle believed…and still true… - Most significant of the appeals is ethos -- Reputation or charisma lead to belief even if the facts are weak. - Ideally, people are persuaded by logos --But most people are more swayed by what we feel and care about than by what we believe to be factual. - All three appeals work together to accomplish rhetorical aim.

Visual Elements Internet Impact Language & Image - Language = diction, syntax, and imagery - Image = graphical elements - font size and color - white space on a page - layout and arrangement - graphics to illustrate and explain Visual literacy - decoding information based on the graphical elements we see and read