By Thomas Bell ’08, senior Rhetoric major 

Rhetoric Defined 

            In the minds of many, rhetoric as an area of study has a negative reputation.  And those who do not negatively critique rhetoric typically do not give this area of study enough credit, or even possess awareness of it.  Unfortunately, rhetoric is usually misconceived as only concerned with the study or teaching of public speaking, when in reality this field of study goes much deeper.

            From my perspective, rhetoric is best viewed as consisting of two primary properties or functions.  First, rhetoric is the study of how language, images, and various artifacts influence people.  Primarily, rhetoric focuses on persuasion as a tool that can be used both negatively and positively.  However, it is important to qualify rhetoric’s use as persuasion; since the creation of the field, instruction in rhetoric has been concerned with ethical practice.  In this first category the study and teaching of rhetoric consists of breaking down what an artifact does persuasively, how the artifact attempts persuasion, and its impact.

            The other main property of rhetoric is its use as a means of critique and as a subject with substance.  Rhetoric is the actual process of creating persuasion through various methods.  For one thing, this means that rhetoric concerns effectively using the tools learned to present reason.  Rhetoric continues to use the early teachings of the sophists to present thoughts effectively while attempting to maintain an ethical balance.

            The field of rhetorical studies expands deeper than it is given credit by most intellectuals.  In sum, rhetoric or rhetorical study is a theory and process consisting of public speaking, rhetorical criticism, and the analysis of the way all forms of rhetoric affect society.