Page 1 (Introduction)
Rhetoric
What is it?
Rhetoric is the way that we use language to persuade. This includes the words that we say and how we intend to say them.
Dialect vs. Rhetoric
Both are tools of language that refer to how people speak.
Dialect refers to the natural way that people speak based on where they are from.
Rhetoric is the intention behind the words that we say.
For example, a person may not be responsible for their dialect, but is responsible for their rhetoric.
This is because we all make conscious decisions with the words that we choose to say.
Origins of Rhetoric
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Aristotle (384 BCE - 322 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher and scholar who created intellectual works that are relevant to many fields, such as theory, observation, and logic. He is credited with defining rhetoric as we know it today. (1)
Rhetoric, as defined by Aristotle, is
"the faculty of observing [discovering] in any given case the available [appropriate] means of persuasion" (2)
Why Rhetoric Matters
Since it is a tool for language, anyone can utilize rhetoric in their own way.
In the digital age, the line between fact and opinion is already very thin, so incorporating rhetoric into mass communication without proper caution can be dangerous.
There is no universal fact-checker to determine whether a statement is true or false, whether the intent is harmless or dangerous or even misleading. Public rhetoric can be used to lie and manipulate, as well as encouraging groups to believe certain ideologies or take certain actions.
By assessing the speaker and their rhetoric, along with investigating the potential intent, every single person can have the capability to protect themselves from dangerous rhetoric and the manipulation that often comes alongside it.
Works Cited
(1) “The Lyceum of Aristotle.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 30 Mar. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aristotle/The-Lyceum.
(2) Daly Goggin, Maureen. “Selected Definitions of Rhetoric.” ENG 530 Classical Rhetoric, Arizona State University, https://www.public.asu.edu/~mdg42/ENG530rhetdef.html.