An Introduction to Rhetoric Part 2

The context for the emergence of rhetoric begins with these Greeks, particularly those involved with the emerging democracy in Athens. Unlike the oligarchy that the citizens of Athens were familiar with, the new democracy demanded that citizens present their disputes before judges, and their legislative ideas before the public assembly of citizens. This created a need for citizens to learn how to persuasively argue their cases.

You can see the beginnings here of the three "genres" of rhetoric, or "speech topics" described by Aristotle: judicial rhetoric, and deliberative rhetoric. the thrid genre, epideictic rhetoric is the speech that honors, praises, or blames. It is more ceremonial in nature, like the toast the best man gives at the wedding reception.

Rhetoric: An Introduction

τέχνη

If Aristotle considered rhetoric to be the study of "the available means of persuasion," modern rhetoricians take a more expansive view of rhetoric, one which studies all of the relationships between text producers (writers, speakers, designers), text consumers (readers, listeners viewers), and the meaning or content present in that text. When we are primarily interested in moving the text consumer, we are focusing on the kinds of persuasion Aristotle emphasized. When we focus on the text producer, we are more interested in expressive communication than persuasion. When we focus on content, we are more interested in in informative communication. Finally, when we focus on texts, we are interested in the kinds of interpretive work we often associate with courses in literature.

Looking at rhetoric from a broader view, the Greeks viewed rhetoric as techne: a practical art achieved through the deliberate action of a rational being. The Greeks saw the acquisition of this type of knowledge occurring through a three step process. First, the individual begins with the natural disposition (physis) to acquire the art, but suffers through a period of inexperience. Next, through a combination of experimentation and chance, the individual achieves a measure of success. After repetition of this success, the individual reaches a level of practice said to be "skilled" or "experienced." Thus, rhetorical practice for many early Greek rhetoricians often began with memorization and repetition of classic speeches.

So rhetoric, as a techne, begins as a gift of nature (physis), but through practice, raises it to an art, and gives it a place in public life (the polis).

Fall Project: Classical Rhetoric

I've decided to devote the research blog to Classical Rhetoric. I'm teaching a class on the subject this Spring for the first time, and I've been very unsatisfied with the textbooks available on the subject. I'm thinking of working on a textbook of my own.

I'm starting with Lausberg's Handbook of Literary Rhetoric, a book almost unknown in the US where rhetorical approaches to literature are rare. Yet in European universities, course approaching literature from a rhetorical lens are commonplace.

While my course is not "literary," the tools elaborated in Lausberg are certainly applicable to non-literary texts. I love the book because it goes directly to the original Greek and Latin classical texts!

On another subject, I'd like to point out the new links to the blogs of some of the students in the Research Methods class this semester!