Rhetoric
The art of speaking or writing effectively, including the study of principles and rules of composition and the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion.
Sophists
Professional teachers and intellectuals in ancient Athens who offered education in rhetoric for a fee, but their practices and opinions were often questioned.
Gorgias
The foremost Sophist who became the subject of a dialogue by Plato, debating the nature of rhetoric with Socrates.
Socratic method
A dialogue between teacher and students, characterized by probing questions to explore underlying beliefs, named after Socrates.
Three means of persuasion
Logos (logic and reasoning), ethos (credibility and ethical appeal), and pathos (emotional appeal), pioneered by Aristotle.
Three genres of rhetoric
Deliberative (persuasion regarding future actions or policies), forensic (persuasion in legal or judicial settings), and epideictic (persuasion for ceremonial or commemorative purposes), introduced by Aristotle.
Five Canons of Rhetoric
Inventio (developing arguments), dispositio (arranging arguments), elocutio (presenting arguments with style and rhetorical techniques), memoria (learning and memorizing speeches and relevant information), and actio (delivering speeches with gestures and effective delivery), formulated by Quintilian.
Kenneth Burke, Jacques Derrida, and Michel Foucault
Prominent contemporary figures in the field of rhetoric.