Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, was born in 384 BC and led a life of a polymathic person with extraordinary intellectual faculties. Not only did Aristotle like learning by himself, but he also educated other people and was even invited to teach Alexander the Great in 343 B.C. Aristotle was born in an aristocratic family; hence, perhaps, is his thirst for knowledge and desire to stand out. Aristotle went to Athens when he was eighteen; there he entered Plato’s Academy to overtake the wisdom of this great philosopher; though their opinions on certain issues differed, Aristotle still owed much of his knowledge namely to Plato. Aristotle has written works in a number of subjects, such as ethics, poetry, politics, music, biology, physics, etc., but among these, his contributions into rhetoric are the most valuable; within this field, Aristotle is known for his treatise Rhetoric and his coining the concept of the rhetorical triangle, which greatly advanced the art of persuasion.
To begin with, Aristotle’s writings on rhetoric were numerous, but the most outstanding of them was the treatise Rhetoric, or The Art of Rhetoric, as it is often called. A great number of Aristotle’s works have not been preserved, because they were not intended for preservation. This is why some of his important dialogues and tractates have been lost. Rhetoric is one of those Aristotle’s works that were never meant for publication; despite this, it was preserved in sufficiently good condition for the descendants to learn from it. This treatise consists of three books that define the concept of ‘rhetoric’ and give a description of its main types (Book I), discuss different means which an orator can use to be persuasive (Book II), and teach which elements of style to use to achieve the persuasion in speech (Book III). These days, Aristotle’s Rhetoric is one of the most valuable scholarly resources in this field of studies.
However, Rhetoric is not the only contribution of Aristotle’s into the field of rhetoric. Aiming to learn and to teach others how to be persuasive, Aristotle coined the concept of the ‘rhetorical triangle’ which helps the speaker appeal to his/her audience in such areas as ethos, pathos, and logos. Namely, these areas constitute the rhetorical triangle. Among these, ethos is the speaker’s ethical appeal, or his/her ability to present him/herself. Pathos, in its turn, is the ability of the speaker to evoke certain emotional responses in the audience. Quite helpful here are anecdotes and different entertaining stories which may make the audience interested in the subject. And, lastly, logos “corresponds with the argument’s “logical appeals,” that is, how well the reader uses the “text” of his own argument and evidence” (The Rhetorical Triangle para. 5). With respect to logos, it is important to support one’s argument with reliable evidence and different supporting details. All these constituents form the rhetorical triangle and, if borne in mind, can help a speaker become persuasive.
In conclusion, Aristotle can indeed be regarded as a great contributor to the field of rhetoric due to his offering the ways for the orators to become persuasive. His Rhetoric and the rhetorical triangle can be of great assistance to lawyers, politicians, and public speakers who, through focusing on different elements of style and bearing in mind ethos, pathos, and logos, can achieve the unbelievable persuasion of their speeches.
Work Cited
UGA Writing Center. “The Rhetorical Triangle.” UGA Writing Center. The University of Georgia, 2009. Web.