When I became a Professional Writing & Rhetoric (PWR) major, I wasn't quite sure what "rhetoric" meant. It wasn't until I completed Understanding Rhetoric that I understood the meaning of rhetoric and it's scope. From class readings, discussion, and pod activities, I have been able to study rhetoric through historical and contemporary perspectives to create my own definition of rhetoric.
Definition:
The effective communication of information through text, spoken words, and visuals that often results in the exchange of information.
Many of the historical readings that we focused on in the beginning of the semester have allowed me to create a basic understanding of rhetoric's meaning. Philosophers such as Aristotle, Cicero, and Quintilian contributed to the development of my own definition, especially in the understanding of how wide the scope of rhetoric is.
Aristotle
Described rhetoric as a universal topic that "doesn't belong to a single defined genus of subject" (36). "Let rhetoric be defined as an ability...to see the available means of persuasion" (37). |
Cicero
Rhetoric has "sources in more arts and branches than people suppose" (13). The most successful rhetors have knowledge in a wide variety of subjects. |
Quintilian
Rhetoric can be applied to any subject as long as it's effectively communicated. "Speaking well" is the goal of successful rhetors (369). |
The second half of the semester provided me with a more contemporary perspective on rhetoric and how it's used today. The articles we read in class allowed me to apply the material to my own life and made me realize how influential rhetoric can be.Through multiple readings, I have studied four different perspectives that contributed to my personal definition:
Visual Rhetoric, Rhetoric of Negotiation, Invitational Rhetoric, Multimedia Rhetoric
Visual Rhetoric, Rhetoric of Negotiation, Invitational Rhetoric, Multimedia Rhetoric
Sources:
Aristotle. On Rhetoric. Trans. George A. Kennedy. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print.
Cicero. De Oratore. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1942. Print.
Quintilian. The Orator's Education. Trans. Donald A. Russell. Harvard UP, 2002.
Aristotle. On Rhetoric. Trans. George A. Kennedy. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print.
Cicero. De Oratore. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1942. Print.
Quintilian. The Orator's Education. Trans. Donald A. Russell. Harvard UP, 2002.