Aristotle (384-322 BC)
Aristotle was born to Greek parents in a Macedonian town. His father was a court physician which heavily influenced Aristotle's epistemology and overall way of thinking. He entered Plato's school, the Academy, at the age of 17 and stayed for a total of 20 years. He was the first teacher of rhetoric, but didn't deliver speeches outside of teaching. Aristotle didn't just study rhetoric; he studied biology, zoology, ethics, politics, and philosophy as well.
He was in the middle of the views of Sophists and Plato because he believed that it's possible that absolute truths exist, but we can't attain them so we wouldn't know if they exist or not therefore he coined the term probable truth. He did agree with Plato that the Sophists misused rhetoric for deception, but unlike Plato, he did believe that there was use for rhetoric. He was an empiricist which means that he believes that truths are rooted in experience, and we can get to true knowledge only through demonstration and logic. According to Aristotle, rhetoric needs to explain and verify our experiences, and it is also needed to uphold truth and justice, teach in a way that is suitable to a popular audience, analyze both sides, and defend oneself. (Lee, "Aristotle")
His most famous contribution to rhetoric was the three appeals: ethos, logos, and pathos.
Ethos: credibility of the speaker
(Smith 69)
Logos: logic or reason, thought and reason
(Smith 72-75)
Pathos: emotion
Here is a video that will sum up Aristotle and his contribution:
He was in the middle of the views of Sophists and Plato because he believed that it's possible that absolute truths exist, but we can't attain them so we wouldn't know if they exist or not therefore he coined the term probable truth. He did agree with Plato that the Sophists misused rhetoric for deception, but unlike Plato, he did believe that there was use for rhetoric. He was an empiricist which means that he believes that truths are rooted in experience, and we can get to true knowledge only through demonstration and logic. According to Aristotle, rhetoric needs to explain and verify our experiences, and it is also needed to uphold truth and justice, teach in a way that is suitable to a popular audience, analyze both sides, and defend oneself. (Lee, "Aristotle")
His most famous contribution to rhetoric was the three appeals: ethos, logos, and pathos.
Ethos: credibility of the speaker
- Arête: character, virtue
- Phronesis: wisom, knowledge
- Eunoia: goodwill towards audience
(Smith 69)
Logos: logic or reason, thought and reason
- Deductive reasoning (general to specific)
- Inductive reasoning (specific to general)
(Smith 72-75)
Pathos: emotion
- visuals
- highlighting fear
- personal stories
- descriptive language
Here is a video that will sum up Aristotle and his contribution: