ARISTOTLE: RHETORIC
About this ebook
Since its composition, Rhetoric has been celebrated for its systematic approach and profound insights into human communication. Its exploration of universal themes such as persuasion, reasoning, and the balance between logic and emotion has ensured its place as a cornerstone of Western philosophy and communication studies. The text's clear structure and analytical depth continue to resonate with scholars, students, and professionals, offering timeless frameworks for understanding and practising the art of persuasion.
The work's enduring relevance lies in its ability to illuminate the complexities of human interaction, the power dynamics embedded in speech, and the ethical dilemmas that arise in influencing others. By examining the intersections of logic, credibility, and emotion, Rhetoric invites readers to reflect on the broader implications of discourse, the responsibilities of the speaker, and the enduring impact of words on society.
About the author
Aristotle (384 BC–322 BC) was an important Greek philosopher. One of the most influential thinkers in Western culture, he was a disciple of the philosopher Plato. Aristotle developed an entire philosophical system in which he pondered on virtually all existing subjects, such as geometry, physics, metaphysics, botany, zoology, astronomy, medicine, psychology, ethics, drama, poetry, rhetoric, mathematics, and logic. Being one of the oldest and most truly international human disciplines, Rhetoric, like grammar, logic, and poetics, is not an a priori science. The great philosopher Aristotle was one of the first thinkers to study and elaborate on the foundations of Rhetoric, and this homonymous work systematically and deeply encompasses this theme. Rhetoric is a form of communication, a discipline that deals with the principles and techniques of communication. Not all communication, but that which has persuasive purposes. Aristotle's Rhetoric is not the product of the mere idealization of principles born with him and by him, agreed upon to persuade and convince others. It is, instead, the product of the consummated experience of skillful orators, the elaboration resulting from the analysis of their strategies, the codification of precepts born from experience with the aim of helping others to exercise correctly in the techniques of persuasion.
