Module 1: Introduction To Rhetoric: Course Learning Outcomes

Purposive Communication 2/Introduction to Rhetoric
Introduction to Rhetoric
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO RHETORIC
Course Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the module, the students will be able to:
1. Comprehend the background of rhetoric
2. Identify and explain rhetoric and the basic concepts related to it
3. Distinguish the different kinds/types of persuasion
Definition
Rhetoric | rhet•o•ric |, [noun]

: language that is intended to influence people and that may not be honest or
reasonable.1
: the art or skill of speaking or writing formally and effectively especially as a way to
persuade or influence people.1
: the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion.3
Origin
The English word "rhetoric" is derived from Greek rhetorike, which literally means, art of
oratory.1 Rhetorike in Greek specifically refers to the civic art of public speaking as it
developed in political assemblies, law courts, and other formal occasions under
constitutional government in the Greek cities, especially the Athenian democracy, As
such, it is a specific cultural subset of a more general concept of the power of words
and their potential to affect a circumstance in which they are used or received.
Ultimately, what we call "rhetoric" can be traced back to the natural impulse to survive
and to control our environment and influence the actions of others in what seems the
best interest of ourselves, our families, our social and political groups, and our
descendants. This can be done by direct action (force, threats, bribes, for example) or it
can be done by the use of "signs," of which the most important are words in speech or
writing. 2
Discussion
Rhetoric is the equivalence of Dialectic, which is a method of examining and discussing

opposing ideas in order to find the truth.1 Both similarly are concerned with such things
that come within the general understanding of all men and does not belong to any
definite science. The modes of persuasion are the only true element of the said art: the
rest is merely an addition. Persuasion is clearly a sort of demonstration, in other words
we are fully persuaded when a demonstration has been presented. The orator‟s
demonstration is an enthymeme, and this is, in general, the most effective of the modes
of persuasion. The enthymeme is a sort of syllogism (will be further discussed on the
next subtopic of this module), and the consideration of syllogisms of all kinds, without
distinction, is the business of dialectic, either of dialectic as a whole or of one of its
branches.3
Rhetoric is useful base on the following premises:
(1) Things that are true and things that are righteous have a natural tendency to win
over the false and unjust, but if the decisions of critics are not what the truth is and just,
the fault must be due to the speakers themselves, and they must be blamed
accordingly.
(2) To some audiences not even the possession of the most exact knowledge will
provide a complete certainty, because argument based on knowledge needs instruction,
and there are people who cannot be instructed. Hence, we must use our modes of
persuasion and argument, ideas possessed by everybody, as we observed in the
Topics when dealing with the way to handle an audience.
(3) We must make use of persuasion, in order to see clearly what the facts are, and
that, if another man argues wrongly, we on our part may be able to disprove him/her.
(4) The use of rational speech is more typical for a human being, and the power of
speech can either grant a great harm to oneself, if not used righteously or a huge
benefit to oneself if practiced correctly.3
The Rhetorical Scene4
SUBJECT
RHETOR AUDIENCE
Figure 1
Base from the above figure, it shows that there are three components for a rhetorical
scene or situation; rhetor or orator, subject or the topic to be spoken and of course the
audience or judge.
Persuasion
Three Kinds of Modes of Persuasion:

1) Depends on the personal character of the speaker – It must be achieved by
what the speaker says and not by what people think of the speaker‟s character
before he/she begins to speak. One‟s character may almost be called the most
effective means of persuasion he/she possesses.
2) Putting the audience into a certain frame of mind – Persuasion may come
through the listeners, if the speech stirs their emotions or it moves them. Our
judgement depends on how we feel at the moment. We give positive judgement
when we feel happy or joy, and opposite when we feel pained or hostile.
3) The proof or apparent proof, provided by the words of the speech itself –
Persuasion is effected through the speech itself when we have proved a truth or
an apparent truth by means of the persuasive arguments suitable to the case in
question. Remember, things that are true and things that are better are
practically always easier to prove and easier to believe in than it‟s opposite. 3
Three Means of Effecting Persuasion:

a) to reason logically,
b) to understand human character and goodness in their various forms, and
c) to understand the emotions-that is, to name them and describe them, to know
their causes and the way in which they are excited.3
Proof or Apparent Proof

In dialectic, there is induction (the act of providing something as an evidence or proof to
support an argument1) and in rhetoric, there is enthymeme (a syllogism in which one of
the premise is implicit1). As stated on the former, dialectic is equivalent to rhetoric, and
is both faculties for providing arguments; therefore, one is connected to the other. An
enthymeme is a rhetorical syllogism, and the example is a rhetorical induction.
Everyone who effects persuasion through proof does in fact use either enthymemes or
examples only.3
The Enthymeme
It is a syllogism from premises based on probabilities and signs. 4 There are two kinds of
signs base on the enthymeme; (1) Infallible Signs – it is called the “complete proof”,
because its argument is irrefutable (e.g. people with an XY chromosome is biologically

male) and (2) Fallible Signs – Its argument is causally related and is refutable (e.g.
people who lack sleep are always irritable).
The Example
Its relation to the proposition it supports is not that of part to whole, nor whole to part,
nor whole to whole, but of part to part, or like to like. When two statements are of the
same order, but one is more familiar than the other, the former is an ‟example‟.3 For
instance; Jose Rizal gave his life to our country and later became a national hero. Same
with what Rizal did, sacrificing their lives for the country, the Gomburza (Father Gomez,
Burgos and Zamora) and Andres Bonifacio can also be given as a demonstration of
national hero; hence, all the names mentioned was used as an „example‟ of a national
hero.
Lines of Argument
Special Lines of Argument is based on such propositions as apply only to particular

groups or classes of things. Thus there are propositions about natural science on which
it is impossible to base any enthymeme or syllogism about ethics, and other
propositions about ethics on which nothing can be based about natural science.
General Lines of Argument has no special subject-matter, and therefore will not
increase our understanding of any particular class of things. On the other hand, the
better the selection one makes of propositions suitable for special Lines of Argument,
the nearer one comes, unconsciously, to setting up a science that is distinct from
dialectic and rhetoric.3
Sources:
2
Kennedy, George A. A NEW HISTORY OF CLASSICAL RHETORIC. Date Retrieved
September 27, 2019 from
http://www.sjsu.edu/people/cynthia.rostankowski/courses/HUM1AF14/s3/Lecture-12-
Kennedy-and-Aristotle-Readings.pdf
1
Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Incorporated Version 2.0 (Copyright 2010-2019)
4
MIT Open Course Ware. (2009). Classical Rhetoric and Political Discourse. Date
Retrieved September 27, 2019 from https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/comparative-media-
studies-writing/21w-747-classical-rhetoric-and-modern-political-discourse-fall-
2009/lecture-notes/MIT21W_747_01F09_lec03.pdf
3
W. Rhys Roberts. (1994-1998). Rhetoric. Date Retrieved September 27, 2019 from
http://www.bocc.ubi.pt/pag/Aristotle-rhetoric.pdf

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Purposive Communication 2/Introduction to Rhetoric

MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO RHETORIC

Course Learning Outcomes:

Rhetoric | rhet•o•ric |, [noun]

Rhetoric is the equivalence of Dialectic, which is a method of examining and discussing

Rhetoric is useful base on the following premises:

The Rhetorical Scene4

Three Kinds of Modes of Persuasion:

Three Means of Effecting Persuasion:

Proof or Apparent Proof

because its argument is irrefutable (e.g. people with an XY chromosome is biologically

Special Lines of Argument is based on such propositions as apply only to particular

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