Rhetoric

The Nature and Study of Rhetoric

Aristotle (384–322 BCE), in his classic text Rhetoric, defined rhetoric as the “discovery of the available means of persuasion” (Welldon 1886, 10). While simple enough, these seven words have engaged academics from as early as the fourteenth century when courses in rhetoric were offered at Oxford University, through the opening of Harvard in 1636 (where rhetoric was a required subject) until contemporary times. A particular question for debate: Is the study of rhetoric an art or a science? As the study of rhetoric draws from the areas of philosophy, linguistics, history, and more recently from psychology, political science and sociology, the answer to “art or science” has become both—rhetorical study is truly interdisciplinary. Aristotle provided insight to the vastness of rhetoric in his classical definition through his plural use of the word means, thus suggesting that a multiplicity of approaches could be employed. Rhetoric implies choices and the individual skilled in rhetoric is well versed in a wide lexicon of options that may be employed in any given situation.

Historically, the study of rhetoric has been viewed as a humanistic/artistic venture where students examined a host of linguistic devices known as schemes and tropes. Roman rhetorical scholar Quintilian (c. 40–95 CE) noted that students would best learn the art of discourse by carefully studying “good men [sic] speaking well” so that they might have models of excellence upon which to improve. Equally important to this pedagogical value in studying “great speeches” was the intentional notion of “ good men [sic] speaking.” From the earliest of Greek and Roman classical writings, a clear sense of “good” character and an ethical standard were considered critical to the study of discourse, lest it be corrupted. To demonstrate this, Plato's (c. 427–437 BCE) Gorgias pitted the virtuous Socrates against the selfserving sophist Gorgias. Aristotle maintained that of all the means of persuasion, character (ethos) was the most effective. To better codify the educational process and inherent understanding of rhetoric, theorists began to generate models to explain the rhetorical act itself.

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