Aristotle’s Rhetoric is about the art of speech. Aristotle first discusses the difference between rhetoric and dialectic. Dialectic proves opinions true or false with a basis of facts, including definitions, properties, etc. Rhetoric, on the other hand, is used to support or go against opinions in subjects that cannot be proven or disproven scientifically. Essentially, dialectic uses facts to prove the accuracy of opinions, whereas rhetoric uses persuasion to endorse or refute opinions.
Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion .Every other art can instruct or persuade about its own particular subject matter…
What makes rhetoric unique is that it is the only science that does not have answers related to itself. One might say that rhetoric is not based on knowledge of facts, but of knowledge in incorporating certain evaluation skills. Rhetoric is therefore not confined to any certain subject matter.
There are three divisions of rhetoric, according to Aristotle, and these depend on the audience the speech is given to.
A speech has three elements,
The types of rhetoric that Aristotle defines are
Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion .Every other art can instruct or persuade about its own particular subject matter…
What makes rhetoric unique is that it is the only science that does not have answers related to itself. One might say that rhetoric is not based on knowledge of facts, but of knowledge in incorporating certain evaluation skills. Rhetoric is therefore not confined to any certain subject matter.
There are three divisions of rhetoric, according to Aristotle, and these depend on the audience the speech is given to.
A speech has three elements,
- the speaker,
- the subject,
- and the people spoken to.
The types of rhetoric that Aristotle defines are
- political rhetoric, (urges the listeners to either do or not do something)
- political speeches are about the future,
- Forensic rhetoric (either defends some one, or attacks another person or group)
- forensic speeches are about the past and things already done
- Ceremonial oratory (praises or scolds someone or something)
- ceremonial oratory is about the present.