Mike Calou

3-26-09

Commentary Week Six

The Path to a New Rhetoric

At this point in the semester I think a brief chronology of our rhetoric studies is appropriate. This “walk” through the history of rhetoric is not meant to be all inclusive; it just helps me learn what rhetoric is and why it is important in the area of composition. We have to understand the past in order to make sense of the present and future.

The readings this week are a culmination of thought on the nature of rhetoric. The ancient orator Socrates never wrote a word. In ancient times all communication was accomplished orally. Rhetoric was indeed the art of argumentation. Rhetoric was taught in schools. The prevalent idea was that it took natural ability to become a skilled orator. The rise of rhetoric was made possible through its use in the courts and for political debate.

Ancient Greek rhetoric was used for political purposes as a means to persuade the general population towards certain political ideals or action. The rhetoric was predominantly oral. Methods were learned to memorize key points of argumentation. Rhetoric is viewed from a negative perspective because of the use as a political tool. Plato makes clear in the Gorgias dialogues that rhetoric can be used positively, but it depends on the moral make up of the orator.

The writing of Quintilian provides guidelines for teaching and the student so rhetoric becomes more of an academic discipline. There is a connection at this time that writing can be utilized fro “invention” or the composition of thought. This is the beginning of a transition from oral communication to more reliance on writing as a medium of communication.

Concurrently in other parts of the world rhetoric is also developing. In China and India schools of thought are being discussed and written about that mirror the intellectual development in the west. The “eight-legged essay” is an example of a Chinese rhetorical application similar today to our five paragraph essay.

Rhetoric again begins to be discussed during the Renaissance after a period of intellectual stagnation or the “Dark Ages.” The scientific revolution influenced the teaching of rhetoric at this time. The influence of Bacon and Descartes link rhetoric to intellectual expression. Truth and eloquence are elaborated as a means to more effectively utilize rhetoric. The shift in rhetoric education is on the content being learned: expository writing or the ability to write about a topic in order to inform the reader. Giambattista Vico argues the need for a return to the classical education involving more mental thought and memory utilization.

There is a common theme in the readings this week. The Grammar of Motives provides a framework in which to understand modern communication. Since communication is the function of language, Burke gives the dramatistic pentad as a way of understanding the detailed interactions involved with human communication. The fact that the pentad is based on a dramatic model is ironic. Humans and communication are linked as are life and drama.

In the Rhetoric of Motives, Burke discusses the importance of meaning and symbology in the function of language. There is a scientific connection between language and reality and the need for understanding: the notion of consubstantiality. The discussion of termnistic screens as a language and interpretation filter allow for the understanding of different points of view. Each of us utilizes a “screen” to interpret the world around us.

The analysis of the Phaedrus by Richard Weaver taught me a lot about the relationship between dialectic and rhetoric. A dialectic is a discussion based on facts and the presentation of the facts. Rhetoric takes a dialectic one step further and provides the figurative language and analogy needed to persuade an audience. The dialectic and the use of rhetoric are linked to create a message or communication.

In conclusion, the human race has evolved intellectually from the method of oratorical discourse to written discourse. The evolution in rhetoric has mirrored the development of the human race: oratory, writing, scientific method, industrial capitalism, new rhetoric.