Aristotle's Rhetoric

What person had a major influence on rhetoric?

• Socrates

• Plato

• Aristotle

• Julius Caesar

Who was Aristotle's teacher?

• Cecius

• Plato

• Aristotle was self taught

• Alexander the Great

According to Aristotle, what are the components or characteristics of rhetoric?

• Public practice of countering the accuser to defend themselves using non-argumentative methods

• Focuses on persuasive information and is regarded as an art

• Utilizes arguments and proof but also the speaker's credibility and emotional attitude on a topic

• The rhetoric discipline has to acknowledge the audience is influenced by their emotions rather than rational knowledge on the topic

Aristotle described rhetoric as the counterpart to dialectic. So, what would be some traits or focal points of the dialectic discipline?

• Referring to the private or academic practice of starting and maintaining an argument

• Focusing on reasoning and identifying valid and invalid arguments

• Using argumentative methods with proof and evidence on the topic

• The discipline tries to argue the truth of a topic

• All of the above

True or False: Aristotelian rhetoric style is characterized as a neutral method used by people of moral and immoral characters

• True

• False

What tactics must rhetorician’s, someone who understands persuasive arguments and can convince some individuals, exhibit while speaking to their audience? hint: 2 answers

• Play on the audience's emotions

• Rely solely on proven opinions by experts

• Argue the popular opinion of the audience

• Focuses on explaining the truth of a topic without persuading the audience

Similar to the three modes of persuasion, Aristotle believed what three elements were essential to a persuasive argument?

• Ethos, Pathos, Logos

• Argument, Pen, Paper

• Speaker, Subject, Listener

• Proof, Work, Ideas

How does the emotional disposition of the audience affect the argument itself?

• Causing the listener to agree no matter what

• Emotions modify one’s reactions and thoughts

• No effect is made

• Causing the listener to disagree no matter what

What is an Enthymeme?

• Function of a proof or demonstration in the domain of public speech

• Should have the form of a deductive argument

• Set of sentences where several are premises with one conclusion

• Display the premise-conclusion structure of deductive arguments

Which of the following uses logic that cannot be refuted?

• Wise men are just, since Socrates is just.

• He is ill, since he has fever./ She has given birth, since she produces milk.

• This man has fever, since he breathes rapidly.

• I can’t see you, you can’t see me.