Beginning to study rhetoric can be very overwhelming and confusing. Part of this is due to the fact that there is no concrete definition of the word, and there never will be. That alone can start to freak you out when you realize that you are taking a course on rhetoric or trying to use it for a paper. The goal of this website is to teach you some of the main ideas that are tied to the concept of rhetoric by taking a look at the Sophists, Plato, and Aristotle views of the relationship between truth, knowledge, and rhetoric.
One key word that is important while learning about rhetoric is epistemology which simply means the study of knowledge. It answers the question how do we know what we know? Epistemology is important because it shapes rhetoric. The specific epistemology that we each use shapes our view on rhetoric. The Sophists, Plato, and Aristotle all held different epistemologies that shaped their views on rhetoric and absolute truths.
One key word that is important while learning about rhetoric is epistemology which simply means the study of knowledge. It answers the question how do we know what we know? Epistemology is important because it shapes rhetoric. The specific epistemology that we each use shapes our view on rhetoric. The Sophists, Plato, and Aristotle all held different epistemologies that shaped their views on rhetoric and absolute truths.