According to Foss, Foss, and Trapp’s Contemporary Perspectives on Rhetoric, “rhetoric is the human use of symbols to communicate.” However, I think that is a bunch of crap. I mean who would buy this junk? Just kidding, I don’t actually feel that way at all. In all seriousness I agree with their definition for the most part. I believe that this particular definition means that humans use the arbitrary symbols they named themselves to communicate with one another as well as communicate with themselves. I especially like the point they brought up about how when we change the way we communicate or the symbols we communicate with, our world changes as well. I think that this is extremely true. For instance when I talk to myself in the morning (the dialogue inside my head, I don’t say it out loud because that would be a little weird, or if I do I make sure no one’s home first) and I say something like, “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe I have to wake up at 8:30 in the morning! Who does this and like’s it? Why is my life so hard?” The usual result is that I have a pretty crappy day. However, if I wake up in the morning and I say, “Oh my gosh! What a beautiful day. My alarm clock is super annoying, but that’s okay! Today’s the best day ever! I’m even going to call my mom today. Well maybe not, but it’s still an awesome day!” I usually do have a pretty enjoyable day. This is just a small example of how I believe my internal rhetoric affects or changes my world. The reading used a pretty good example of a child trying to interrupt or get someone’s attention. The rhetoric used or the symbols of communication used during this particular event could change everything. For instance, if a child throws up on me (like my four year old nephew did the other day while he was trying to eat me) I could use harsh tones and scream or yell at my sister, “What the heck is wrong with your offspring?” However, I could calmly tell my sister, “Hey, um, Miranda… There’s uh, some orange vomit on your new rug in the living room and on my shirt sleeve.” I chose to use the calm approach and it resulted in my sister washing my shirt for me and apologizing profusely. Now, if I had screamed at her like a madman it probably would have resulted in me being escorted off the premises by her ninja husband.
Foss, Karen, Sonya Foss, and Robert Trapp. Contemporary Perspectives on Rhetoric. Waveland Press Inc.Print.
Rhetoric flourished in ancient Greece as a subject of formal study and a culture of performance.[1] Its most well-known definition came from Aristotle, who called it "the art of finding [seeing] the available means of persuasion" [2] More simply, rhetoric includes the study and the use of language with persuasive effect.
“Rhetoric.” Wikipedia. 2011. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. August 24, 2011.
rhet•o•ric
1. (in writing or speech) the undue use of exaggeration or display; bombast. 2. the art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech. 3. the study of the effective use of language. 4. the ability to use language effectively. 5. the art of prose in general as opposed to verse.
rhetoric. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved August 24, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rhetoric
Whoa! First, nice job in the title "Rhetorics" I think you are onto something here. What does having "rhetorics" mean?
ReplyDeleteSecond, do you think even feelings are rhetorical or are mediated by rhetoric? You know you mentioned talking to yourself in your head but are heads always "talking"--?