Post-Papers Reflections

My most important takeaway that I’ve had about rhetoric as a branch of knowledge, a field of study, and practice is that Rhetoric began 2500 years ago as the study of the forms of communication and argument essential to public, political and legal life in Ancient Greece. It has since evolved into a rich and diverse body of research, texts, and pedagogies. Rhetoric has developed throughout the years into many different theories and ideas that not one person knows one specific definition. Writings and speeches from Ancient Greece helped me develop my ideas of rhetoric to be through of speech and persuasion.

The Encomium of Helen was one specific writing that helped me develop this idea. This famous speech intended to demonstrate that the skilled rhetorician can prove any proposition no matter the strength of the matter. He reveals his skill by arguing the unlikely thesis of Helen. This thesis would be that Helen should not be blamed for deserting Menelaus and following Paris to Troy. Gorgias argues that Helen “could not have resisted the power of logos,’’or persuasive words, which constitutes a type of witchcraft or magic. Gorgias’ Encomium of Helen is a great example of rhetoric in action, and it also demonstrates the power of persuasive speech, which was one thing Gorgias excelled at. If Gorgias could get the Ancient Greeks to accept his argument of Helen, it would counter the dominant thought of the era that Helen was at fault for the Trojan War.

The Art of Rhetoric was yet another writing that used the means of persuasion in a powerful way that attracted many followers to his theory. He uses the ideas of ethos, pathos, and logos  in his writing to describe persuasion through speech. “Let rhetoric be [defined as] an ability, in each [particular] case, to see the available means of persuasion. This is the function of no other art; for each of the others is instructive and persuasive about its own subject: for example, medicine about health and disease and geometry about the properties of magnitudes and arithmetic about numbers and similarly in the case of the other arts and sciences. But rhetoric seems to be able to observe the persuasive about “the given,” so to speak. That, too, is why we say it does not include technical knowledge of any particular, defined genus [of subjects].” Aristotle thought of rhetoric as a means of persuading the audience and not as much technical knowledge being presented.

Against the Sophists was the final writing that helped me form my theory of rhetoric through Isocrates persuasion skills he presented. “But since we have the ability to persuade one another and to make dear to ourselves what we want, not only do we avoid living like animals, but we have come together, built cities, made laws, and invented arts. Speech is responsible for nearly all our inventions. It legislated in matters of justice and injustice and beauty and baseness, and without these laws, we could not live with one another.” Since us as people have the ability to persuade we are able to influence other people in such things as business, politics, and even making a simple decision. “We use the same arguments by which we persuade others in our own deliberations; we call those able to speak in a crowd “rhetorical”; we regard as sound advisers those who debate with themselves most skillfully about public affairs.” Isocrates begins Against the Sophists by defining the typical characteristics of most of the Sophists. He makes seven clear accusations about what is wrong with their teaching methods. ” “oratory is only good if it has the qualities of fitness for the occasion, propriety of style, and originality of treatment…” (sec. 13).” Isocrates ends by stating that while he cannot teach ethics or virtue, studying rhetoric has the potential to develop these traits in its students.

Rhetoric developed may theories in Ancient Greece with different rhetoricians presenting their own theories while also presenting their own criticisms of others. These rhetoricians used the means of persuasion to form an idea in the audiences head (us) on their theory and others theories also. By reading these writings I formed my conclusion on rhetoric to be through the power of persuasion and argument. These rhetoricians presented such power to persuade their audience through powerful language and speech.