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Aristotle's Rhetoric
Aristotle's Rhetoric
Aristotle's Rhetoric
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Overview

This model from Ancient Greece has helped define the art of persuasion for over 2,000 years and continues to serve as a guide for impactf ...

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ita similis erit ei finis boni, atque antea fuerat, neque idem tamen; Quid turpius quam sapientis vitam ex insipientium sermone pendere? Eorum enim omnium multa praetermittentium, dum eligant aliquid, quod sequantur, quasi curta sententia; Res enim se praeclare habebat, et quidem in utraque parte. Stuprata per vim Lucretia a regis filio testata civis se ipsa interemit. Duo Reges: constructio interrete. An, partus ancillae sitne in fructu habendus, disseretur inter principes civitatis, P. Primum in nostrane potestate est, quid meminerimus? Consequentia exquirere, quoad sit id, quod volumus, effectum.

Nam cui proposito sit conservatio sui, necesse est huic partes quoque sui caras suo genere laudabiles. Nulla profecto est, quin suam vim retineat a primo ad extremum. Hanc ergo intuens debet institutum illud quasi signum absolvere. Indicant pueri, in quibus ut in speculis natura cernitur. Mihi enim erit isdem istis fortasse iam utendum. Primum Theophrasti, Strato, physicum se voluit; Profectus in exilium Tubulus statim nec respondere ausus;

Equidem soleo etiam quod uno Graeci, si aliter non possum, idem pluribus verbis exponere. Octavio fuit, cum illam severitatem in eo filio adhibuit, quem in adoptionem D. Iis igitur est difficilius satis facere, qui se Latina scripta dicunt contemnere. Maximas vero virtutes iacere omnis necesse est voluptate dominante. Sic consequentibus vestris sublatis prima tolluntur. Re mihi non aeque satisfacit, et quidem locis pluribus.

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Actionable Takeaways
  • Deeply understand your audience. 

What are their current ...

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed haec ab Antiocho, familiari nostro, dicuntur multo melius et fortius, quam a Stasea dicebantur. Idemne, quod iucunde? Hos contra singulos dici est melius. At ego quem huic anteponam non audeo dicere; Verum esto; Nihil acciderat ei, quod nollet, nisi quod anulum, quo delectabatur, in mari abiecerat. Duo Reges: constructio interrete. Satis est ad hoc responsum.

Bork Quorum sine causa fieri nihil putandum est. Reguli reiciendam; Quod idem cum vestri faciant, non satis magnam tribuunt inventoribus gratiam.

Quae in controversiam veniunt, de iis, si placet, disseramus. Hoc non est positum in nostra actione. Quamquam tu hanc copiosiorem etiam soles dicere. Apud imperitos tum illa dicta sunt, aliquid etiam coronae datum; Deinde prima illa, quae in congressu solemus: Quid tu, inquit, huc? Videmusne ut pueri ne verberibus quidem a contemplandis rebus perquirendisque deterreantur? Mihi vero, inquit, placet agi subtilius et, ut ipse dixisti, pressius. At enim sequor utilitatem. Quodcumque in mentem incideret, et quodcumque tamquam occurreret. Sextilio Rufo, cum is rem ad amicos ita deferret, se esse heredem Q. Ab hoc autem quaedam non melius quam veteres, quaedam omnino relicta.

Limitations

Plato, Aristotle’s teacher, was critical of persuasion techniques, seemingly to rally against the form and emotional element winning arguments over a logical case as an example of manipulation. Aristotle did counter this, suggesting that the art of persuasion was a necessary but neutral tool and that it should be used ethically. 

Other criticism of the model tends to be in its application, as it sets a broad framework but potentially lacks more practical application. In other words, while a useful guide, the model still takes considerable skill to apply effectively and consistently. 

In Practice

Legal application. 

This 2014 research paper describes how Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle is a crucial tool in the courtroom. The author explains: 

“Logos, ethos, and pathos, a persuader’s logical, credibility-related, and emotional appeals, when used in concert, create a whole argument. This argument is one which takes into account the human element as well as the rational and logical needs of the law in its pursuit of justice. Classical Aristotelian rhetoric, thus, must not be dismissed by the advocate hoping to most effectively represent his client. Nor should it be dismissed by the legal community as form over substance.As I have demonstrated, the end result of an attorney utilizing Aristotle’s three modes together is the fairest result possible in a given situation, so substance is not sacrificed, and effective form is still maintained.”

“I have a dream.” 

I could have chosen an analysis of any modern speech based on Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle, I went with Martin Luthor King’s classic. 

This article breaks it down, including noting the following: 

Ethos

  • By way of establishing his intentions, “In his speech, King frequently looks back at moments in American history and refers to the leaders who laid the foundation of free America.” 

Pathos

  • Given the moment of anger and frustration he was speaking in, there’s no wonder that Pathos was a main ingredient. “His speech keeps growing more dramatic and engaging. King tries to make the frustration visible that years of neglect have caused.” 

Logos

  • King paints the future state, the ‘dream’, and lays out a path to achieve it, heavily referencing American history. 

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Origins & Resources

Aristotle’s Rhetoric was set out in his book On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civil Discourse. I say 'book' because it has been published as such but, like his other works, seems to have been a collection of his student’s notes in response to his lectures. His body of work on persuasion did progress and shift over his life, though these three appeals remained consistent. 

Other modern sources to dive into this model include the work of Carmine Gallo, see his HBR article on the topic; and Sam Leith’s Words Like Loaded Pistols. For a more in-depth albeit slightly academic view of this model, you can also visit the entry in Stanford’s Encyclopedia of Philosophy.    

My Notes

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