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What is Rhetoric?
Despite the occasionally negative connotations of the term,
rhetoric is most simply defined as, "the art of persuasion." As we remember from reading our textbook, persuasion is,
"the intentional use of verbal messages to influence the attitudes or behaviors of others using ethical means." Rhetoric
(the art of persuasion) has been practiced and modified for hundreds of years. In fact, the Ancient Greek philosopher
Aristotle offered a great deal of advice on how one can improve his or her rhetorical (or persuasive) skills. In Chapter 10,
our text describes the factors that enhance one's persuasiveness as rational reasoning, credibility and the ability
to arouse emotions. These three factors are respectively based on Aristotle's
principles of logos, ethos and pathos. I invite you to click on the associated links to discover how these terms are related.
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