Aristotle

– Thinking about Rhetoric

Aristotle: His Life

• “The Stagerite” (394-322 BC)

• Father--Doctor

• At 17 to Athens to study with Plato (20yrs)

• After Plato’s Death leaves--marine biology

• Peripatetic school in Athens’ Lyceum

• Married at 37 to 18 yr old women

• A Son (Nichomachean Ethic)

Aristotle on Rhetoric

• Middle Ground between Sophists and Plato

• Between Circumstances and Idealism

• Sophists’ audience=the possible

• Plato’s audience=the certain (the soul or gods)

• Aristotle’s audience=the probable

Three views of Rhetorical Reality“The Umpires as Rhetors”

• “I calls ‘um as they is.” Who?

• “I calls ‘um as I sees ‘um.” Who?

• “They ain’t nothing til I calls um.” Who?

In other words . . .

• Plato--Reality is there and communication reflects reality.

• Aristotle--Reality is probably there and communication is a relationship with reality.

• Gorgias--Reality is not there and communication creates reality.

Rhetoric, its own Identity

• A counterpart to dialectic not cookery

• Not moral but pragmatic and scientific

• A study of all the available means of persuasion

• Functions to discover in each context the best way to by successful

Rhetoric’s Usefulness

• Prevents fraud and injustice

• Aids instruction

• Makes us argue both sides

• Helps in self-defense

The Enthymeme

• The center of Aristotle's Theory

• Two part definition:– Truncated syllogism– Shared values

The Syllogism--Logic

• #1– All men are mortal– Socrates is a man– Therefore, Socrates is mortal

• #2– ?

Enthymeme-truncated

• So . . .– Socrates is a man– Therefore, he is mortal

• Missing element?

Another truncation

• In a speech on human demographics, I state:

– “When deer and elk populations over breed they evidently die from starvation and/or disease.”

• Unstated assumption?

Enthymeme--shared values

• What the speaker and audience share

• “held in the mind” (Herrick, p. 81)

• The argument is completed by the rhetor and the audience at the same time.

• Clinton’s “State of the Union,” Social Security and the baby boomers.

Two Kinds of Proofs

• Artistic– Logos--logical arguments– Pathos--causes of emotion in humans

• not irrational or nonrational as in Gorgias’s enchantments

– Ethos--character, human goodness, virtue

• Inartistic– evidence like testimonies, contracts, knives,

tortured slaves

Topos--Places

• Locations for arguments

• For example:

• You want to run for office and you have a sorted past. Read the Clinton story and listen to responses he gives, Hilary gives, others responses. This is a topos for arguments.

• Others Places? Where would you go?

Fallacies Arguments

• Post hoc--after the fact (Tom and picture)

• Ad hominem--attack the person

• Ad verecundiam--one source

• False associations or metaphors--Doctors in non-medical aids or sports heroes

More on Aristotle and Rhetoric

• Book one and two on logic and emotions

• Book three on style and delivery– “mere adornment” (metaphors or style)– “unworthy” (delivery)

• Demosthenes--”delivery, delivery, delivery”

So, What did Aristotle do for Rhetoric?

• A counterpart to dialectics

• An area of study--the dunamis (power)

• Valuable study

• Two areas of proof

• THE ENTHYMENE

• Topos

• So, is rhetoric an art, techne, or a knack?

Some Rhetorical Examplesand /or Problems

• The CAR committee:

• “I’m asking to have my low undergraduate and graduate grade point average and low MAT score to be waved because I’m almost done with my course work and I need to be accepted into the program to graduate in the Spring.”

More Examples/Problems

• Ms. Malloy, a pro-life advocate

– “Dr. Foster (of Clinton fame) should not be the head of the upcoming teen-pregnancy prevention task force committee because he is pro-choice and has performed abortions.”

More Examples/Problems

• The case of the lost earring.

• Solomon and the Baby

More Examples/Problems• Chicago Hope and the fetus/abortion case.

- Enthymeme or shared value beginning?

• Presidential Appointment Click here.

• - What is the enthymeme? Strong? Weak?

• The young Islamic “peeping tom” - Enthymeme or shared value beginning?

• Dan and Steve’s Grants--Where do we begin?• Your papers?• Key point regarding enthymemes is . . . ?

More Examples/Problems regarding Aristotle's Rhetoric

• Movies (tomorrow)– The city– A time to kill– Contact