Rhetoric

Rhetoric studied how to put together arguments that would logically support the speaker's point or purpose.


Aristotle divided these arguments into propositions of fact, value, and policy.

Factual arguments dealt with what was, or was not, the case. These arguments took place in a court of law.

Arguments over value focused on whether something was good or bad, ethical or unethical.

Policy arguments addressed what should, or should not, be done to solve a given problem.

Arguments mean to make clear. To persuade the audience, speakers use appeals to emotions called pathos; appeals to reason using logos, or logic; and appeals to source credibility, or ethos.

Credibility is broken into three factors. Probity is the speaker's appeal based on his or her perceived integrity or honesty. Sagacity is the audience's perception of the speaker's knowledge or wisdom. Goodwill is the perception that the speaker sincerely cares about the needs of the audience and the topic presented.