1-9-12 Class Notes

Aristotle:

Three modes of persuasion Ethos: author’s credibility or authority (trust). Pathos: emotional appeal. Logos: Logical appeal (intellect)

Kairos: time and place that calls for discourse (rhetoric), opportune moment to speak or write.  

Not everyone can be educated or logical about things. So it is important to be ethical in our use of rhetoric.

Cicero:

Wrote when he was 21. (later on, he refuted this, but we still use it.)

5 Cannons: Invention; Arrangement; Elocution; Memory; Delivery

1.       Invention, is the conceiving of topics either true or probable, which may make one's cause appear probable; (idea, the prompting)

2.        Arrangement, is the distribution of the topics which have been thus conceived with regular order; (organize, put into order)

3.       “Style” Elocution, is the adaptation of suitable words and sentences to the topics so conceived; (the way you say it and your diction)

4.       Memory, is the lasting sense in the mind of the matters and words corresponding to the reception of these topics. (memorizing speeches, drawing on cultural memories, making it vivid and memorable)

5.       Delivery, is a regulating of the voice and body in a manner suitable to the dignity of the subjects spoken of and of the language employed. (dignity of the situation, body language, tonnage, availably)

Bitzer:

Rhetorical situation- if you have rhetorical discourse, you have a rhetorical situation. However if there is no rhetorical discourse you can still have a rhetorical situation.

Three main things:

Exigence- a problem that can be solved by discourse

Audience- be influenced by the discourse and mediator of change

Constraints- limit or shape the situation (beliefs, time, events, place, culture, gender, religion, attitude,

documents and facts, interests, motives) anything that effects the rhetoric.

Rhetorical situation invite the fitting response.

Imagine a rhetorical situation: Ethos appeal

It’s the end of the semester and you realize that your final project is due the next day any you haven’t started it yet because you have been plying X-box all week.

Compose an email to Katherine requesting an extension.