Apologia

Apologia is a formal act associated with self-defense or self-justification. It is generally in the form of a personalized discourse. A convincing defense of one's character or ethics is a central concern of the apologist and has been an important rhetorical ritual of past as well as contemporary society. Many scholars have argued that the successful or unsuccessful use of apologia can even alter the course of history.

Although the circumstances and outcomes of apologia vary greatly, its traditional form has not significantly deviated since its use by the ancients. First, a statement of the case at hand is given. Then, a refutation of the charges is advanced. Next, an explanation unfolds—particularly stressing the speaker's character. Finally, a conclusion is given bolstering the apologist's integrity.

Research on apologia has yielded a number of findings. Apologia results from moral choices that have been subjected to ethical challenges. Unless character repair is made, there can be negative future consequences. Apologia often involves focusing the audience on how the apologist wants them to perceive his/her character. Finally, the apology is seemingly context or accusation bound.

In the history of public address there are many cases of well-known public apologies. For example, in the Greek tradition, Socrates, Isocrates, and Demosthenes all presented noteworthy self-defense discourses. Examples of contemporary apologists include Richard Nixon, Edward Kennedy, and Bill Clinton. Nixon's 1952 “Checkers” or Fund speech is, perhaps, the most famous apologetic discourse in modern times. Using the new medium of television, Nixon went face-to-face with the American people and defended his character to the largest television audience of that time, 60 million people.

In 1973, communication scholars B. L. Ware and Wil A. Linkugel wrote a pioneering article on apologia. Their article established apologia as an important speech genre. Moreover, they posited that four primary strategies consistently appear in self-defense rhetoric: denial, bolstering, differentiation, and transcendence.

The Watergate scandal of 1973 to 1974 served to further heighten interest and scholarship in the apologetic form. Identifying key apologetic strategies and noting their frequency and implications in selected apologia became a popular scholarly focus during the Watergate scandal and in the aftermath of Nixon's forced resignation from the presidency in 1974.

Similarly, Clinton's involvement with various scandals and his subsequent impeachment trial in 1999 provided additional focus on the importance of effective apologia. Clinton's internationally televised August 17, 1998, apologia on the Monica Lewinsky case received a considerable amount of scholarly and popular attention. As such, the subgenres and strategies inherent in the apologetic form continue to captivate a wide variety of critics of public communication.