Definitions of Rhetoric

Definitions of Rhetoric

Purpose:

The purpose of rhetoric is to impact the point being made in a way that convinces the reader one way or another. Chaim Perelman from the Modern Era explains, “As soon as a communication tries to influence one or more persons, to orient their thinking, to excite or calm their emotions, to guide their actions, it belongs to the realm of rhetoric.” As Perelman says, rhetoric adds something other than the words itself. Rhetoric connects the author to the reader and makes the reader feel a certain way by crafting sentences that promote a way of thinking of feeling. With rhetoric, writers can accomplish an influence on the feelings of the readers.

Audience:

Rhetoric is directed towards any readers of the writing. In The Practical Elements of Rhetoric, John Franklin Genung says, “Rhetoric is ‘the art of adapting discourse, in harmony with its subject and occasion, to the requirements of a reader of hearer.’” If the writer uses rhetoric, he or she writes with the intention to persuade or influence. But persuade or influence whom? The writer wants to influence the thoughts of the people who read his or her work.

Challenge:

St. Augustine in Classical Greece and Rome states, “Rhetoric is the art of persuading people to accept something, whether it is true or false.” On the other hand, Erika Lindemann of the Modern Era states, “Rhetoric involves more than mere persuasion, narrowly defined. Discourse that affects an audience, that informs, moves, delights, and teaches, has a rhetorical aim.” St. Augustine argues that rhetoric is only when writing is used to persuade people, while Lindemann says that rhetoric influences the audience in more ways than just persuasion. Both writers make the same point although they word their point differently. St. Augustine would