Comm1010 First Test

Bryant’s 4 components of Rhetoric

Rhetoric is social

Rhetoric is instrumental

Rhetoric is literary

Rhetoric is philisophical

Ehminger’s 3 systems of Rhetoric

Classical period

British period

Contemporary period

Characteristics of Classical period

Greek and Roman

make the rules for Rhetoric

used rhetoric to adjudicate(practical)

Characteristics of British Period

How people engage with an audience

Moving Audience to change beliefs/emotions

Characteristics of Contemporary period

Sees how we use people’s thoughts/emotions to change their mind

Social and connections

Golden’s Evolutionary Definition

Rhetoric Changes over time

Compnents of Evolutionary Definition

Language will lose aesthetic dimensions

interpersonal communication changes

What is Rhetoric

A process that aims to teach and persuade

What are the Characteristics of ethical Rhetoric

Planned

Adapted to an audience

has motives

responsive

persuades

addresses contingent issues

Definition of “Planned”

ethical rhetoric plans how to resonate best with an audience and makes strategic choices to get that

Definition of “Adapted to an audience”

Identify with an audience and see what they want

Definition of “Has Motives”

Rhetoric is governed by desire to achieve goals

Definition of “Responsive”

Respond to situation or create situation

Components of “Persuades”

Argument: Thing you want to happen

Appeals: ethos, pathos, logos

Aesthetic: Stylistic beauty

Arrangement: order of the message

What are the Social Functions of Rhetoric

Ideas are tested

advocacy is assisted

power is distributed

facts are discovered

knowledge is shaped

communities are built

ethics

one’s character

Root of ethics

comes from ethos → goodwill, honesty

moral qualities of individuals

mental qualities of individuals

Polysemy of ethics

many meanings of ethics

Deontological

If you follow the rules you are ethical

teleological

if end point is good then the action is moral

Kant

if your action can be universalized then it is ethical

Virtue ethics

if it builds virtues then it is ethical

Weaver’s Hierarchy of Arguments

1. from genus or definition

2. from similitude

3. Cause and effect

4. circumstance

What is ethically suspect to Weaver

Pseudo-Neutrality

Unwarranted shifts in the meanings of words

communication that blurs the necessary distinction

Public discourse focused solely on hypothetical

What does pseudo-neutrality mean

when you take the neutral ground

why is pseudo neutrality bad

all language is sermonic so when you take the neutral then you are okay with whatever is happening at present

Unwarranted shifts in Rhetoric is characterized by what

Rhetorical substitution and Rhetorical prevarication

Rhetorical Substitution

keep old word but apply new concept

Rhetorical Prevarication

take word out of context and put it in another way to advance ideology

Why is communication that blurs necessary distinction sus

sometimes there’s an expert in a subject

sometimes there’s no middle ground

Responsibilities when listening to rhetor

is speaker credible

is content true

is the content more genus or circumstance

Responsibilites when enacting rhetoric

value audience

reflect concern and try to help audience

Qualities of an evil speaker

reflects exploitation, domination, possesiveness

subverts clear definition, casual reasoning, neglects alternatives

Methodological issues of Ancient global rhetoric

Access

training

sense-making

expertise

philosophical issues when studying rhetoric

concern about area of focus

concern over missing purpose of studying rhetoric

Instruction of Ptah Hotep

First piece of ancient rhetoric

What did Instruction of Ptah Hotep do

taught rules of eloquent and effective speech

moral and ethical speech

Key lessons of Ptah Hotep

morality in speech

truth in language

listening as necessary

humility and rightness

justice

Being a fair ruler

overarching values in Ancient African Rhetoric

dignity and rights of human person

wellbeing and flourishing of community

integrity and value of environment

reciprocal solidarity and cooperation of humanity

Importance of Enheduanna

first to use first person pronouns

places attention on individual not gods or gov’t

blended communities

believed gods transcend gender (gender is social construct)

Third Campaign of Sennacherib is an example of what

Story-List-Sanction

Definition of Story

the past - this is “Who I am”

Definition of list

“what makes me great”

Definition of sanction

“I’m in power if you disobey I will do this to you”

Rhetorical Developments from Ancient Mesopotamia

1st person language

use of supporting evidence, counterarguments, arrangement, style

Story → list → sanction

How was Rhetoric performed in Ancient India

Through oral communication usually hymns or chanted

Who could be a rhetor in Ancient India

Brahman

Rhetoric of Caste

full argument based in religious life and culture communication

Why was the rhetoric of caste so powerful

dictates every aspect of their life and people can’t change it since it’s derived from religion and reincarnation

Importance of Ancient Indian Rhetoric

Rhetoric shapes self-concept and behavior

Confucianism Role in Rhetoric

Developed negative view toward rhetoric as we forget about content when trying to speak eloquently

Hanfeizi’s outlook

disdained indulgence in argumentation with no purpose and flowery eloquence

How was rhetoric used in Ancient China

used in writing rather than speaking

Three functions of language

Heuristic

Eristic

Protreptic

Heuristic

tool to help us understand

Eristic

to entertain, charm, be witty

Protreptic

to persuade

Who founded Demokratia

Cleisthenes

Why was democracy important to rhetoric

participating in law and politics required the ability to develop arguments and persuasively communicate them

What was democracy like in Greece

The people are in charge, but only landowning males

The Sophists

Taught Rhetoric to people

What were the Sophists area of foucs

speechwriting, public speaking, paid speakers

Why was the Sophists teaching Arete problematic

teaching rhetoric to other people was cultural relativism

Where did the Sophists say rhetorical competence came from

natural ability, theory, and practice

Dialectic method

start from endoxa and move forward using dissoi logoi (common ground to contradictory)

Protagoras

Sophist who lived from 490 to 420 BC

what did Protagoras believe in

Resolution to important matters requires the clash of
arguments.

Gorgias

Says that without true knowledge, true justice cannot be found

Gorgias view on democracy

Democracy is flawed because the people are not informed

Aspasia

Only known female rhetor in Greece

Isocrates

Says rhetoric is necessary for democracy to flourish

Socrates

focused on how people can be good human beings

Xenophon

Defended Socrates and his study

What made Socrates Stand out

Pushed belief that man should follow intellectual conscience despite consequences

Plato

Continued Socrates work

Why was plato concerned about the sustained use of rhetoric

Manipulates audiences

benefit those with most power

gain agreement without necessarily telling truth

coerce and mainpulate so justice isn’t achieved

why was plato concerned about imitation of the arts

with imitation we cannot create an ordered, moral society