Rhetoric Influence On The Art Of Persuasion

What is Rhetoric? If you ask a college age adult that question the chances are that they will not know the definition of the word. Some of them might recognize it in as one of their freshmen classes but most do not know. The internet and social media has taught us to believe that rhetoric is for “old people” and nobody uses it any more. How then is a single video of police violence, taken from a specific perspective, used to influence the entire world and incite them into rage? If Rhetoric is such an old school concept why is it that most facts found online are false (LaFrance, Adrienne)? Society need to acknowledge the influence of rhetoric and begin to question any information given to them in this world of knowledge. The art of
This was during a time of intellectual breakthrough. People realized that knowledge of the conscious was just as important as knowledge of the environment. For with knowledge of self came wisdom over the environment. A man by the name of Aristotle sought to delve into this realm of thought. With the help of another philosopher, Isocrates (Enos, Richard Leo), Aristotle came up with a system of laws that would in theory manipulate the thoughts of others. Aristotle based his rhetoric upon three main powers called the Powers of Persuasion. The first power was pathos, the ability to empathize with another persons emotions. Next came logos, an appeal to the intellectual, fact seeking side of a person. Finally there was Ethos, an appeal to a persons beliefs and goals. He theorized that with the intelligent use of all three Powers a person could persuade an audience of
In order for him to create this weapon he needs three key ingredients. The first is the metal, the foundation for what is to come. Without a good quality metal the sword is easily shattered. This is the ethos, a persons beliefs and goals. The second ingredient is the fire for without fire the blacksmith cannot temper and shape the blade to his design. This is the pathos, the passions and emotions of the individual. The finally come the tools. These tools help solidify the shape of the steel. They fuse pieces of metal together to create the finished product. This is the logos, the intellectual side of a person. It cements in the mind the validity of the argument. These ingredients individually cannot accomplish much. Once they are forged together however, their power grows exponentially. A well made sword can destroy a man. A well made argument and destroy nations. As time progressed Aristotle become famous for the “Art of Rhetoric.” It began to become incorporated by leaders and religious authorities. Converting people to a certain belief required some form of persuasion. The use of Aristotle’s rhetoric proved to be invaluable in conversion. Leaders were able to use the three powers to change and shape their subject’s perspective of the world. Rhetoric was evolving quickly at this point. It was still only used by figures in authority but did become second nature to