I particularly enjoyed this excerpt from Hauser. He whittled rhetoric down to its bones. He states that “The hallmark of human intelligence is our ability to use symbols to create and share meanings (22).” At this level of communication, readers see the basic orientation of rhetoric. Similar to Hauser’s views, I believe that rhetoric’s main goal is to successfully articulate ideas and knowledge, which organically occurs in a community. This basic function of rhetoric is crucial for the growth and value of a society.

In addition, Hauser provides helpful distinctions between narrative, dialectic, and rhetoric. He states that narratives “shape our perceptions of our existential circumstances and the judgements we frame about them” (21). Hauser claims that dialectic, unlike narration, does not focus on depicting but rather abstracting generalizations (21). Disimilar to both narrative and dialectic, rhetoric provides appeals for action.

Hauser also discusses the necessity of common ground. Without common ground, an expert backed, logically reasoned argument can be harshly rejected. Thus, it is crucial that the rhetorician craft persuasion that “touches the lives and interests of the community” (19).