This section of Preparing to Teach Writing was an interesting read. The story between Corax and Tisias (p.4) was so funny I had to share it with my family who also laughed. A connection is made from that story about the use of rhetoric. Ancient Greece was a cornerstone for the world as we know it. Philosophy, mathematics, language, politics, and the history leading to our present day had much of its beginnings in ancient Greece.
The debate between laws of man and laws of nature also took place (p.8). These views may limit, as laws might exist outside or transcend the laws of man and nature. Also the question of whether truth was relative or absolute became a matter of importance. If truth was relative, it didn't matter which "side" one choose, and any search for the complete truth would be in vain as it was always relative to a time, place, or person. If truth was absolute, then there was a possibility of finding it, and thus searching could prove a worthwhile endeavor.
Rhetoric could also be a way to go about understanding or questioning the truth. This was done by way of the dialectic process or dialogue. (p.16) Rhetoric was also seen as a tool for a successful speech or for persuading courts or the people one way or the other; despite that some thought using rhetoric to make a particular idea sound better was wrong because rhetoric may make anything sound good. Rhetoric also had a practical purpose in the politics of that day, as a more democratic view arose. This is probably why the aristocracy opposed its teaching.
Today’s society still asks many rhetorically related questions. What is rhetoric, more specifically does it include both writing and speaking? How is rhetoric used and how should it be used? Politicians often have speeches that sound great and make sense (pathos and logos); however, sometimes other people feel as though their character cannot be trusted (ethos).
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