Its brief amp incomplete But it packs a punch It doesnt matter where you look everyone defines rhetoric differently ID: 745422
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Slide1
Introduction to theRhetorical situation
It’s brief
& incomplete.
But it packs a punch.Slide2
It doesn’t matter where you look, everyone defines rhetoric differently.
(Where are your eyes, Aristotle?)Let’s start with a definition we can maybe attribute to Aristotle:Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion.Slide3
“Rhetoric may be defined
as
the faculty
of observing in any given case
the
available means of persuasion.”
What is the most important word in this definition?Slide4
“Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty
of
observing
in any given case the available means of persuasion.”Why is observation as opposed to communication (or speaking, writing, debating, presenting, etc.) so critical?
The eyeball knows the answer.Slide5
“Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion
.”
It sounds a bit abstract, but break it down.
Available meansOf persuasion
Available means is the stuff a
rhetor uses to persuade an audience.Slide6
There are a zillion ways to communicate—another definition of rhetoric might help us understand what’s even going on here.Slide7
For one thing, rhetoric isn’t just tossing some stuff into the world to see if it sticks.
The word cloud was ugly. Think of it as a visual representation of ineffective rhetoric.
Unless you’re the guy who loves word clouds. If that is you, raise your hand. I didn’t think so.Slide8
Rhetoric is the purposeful use of language.
(This is the definition I like the best)Slide9
purposeful
Rhetorical choices
&
Rhetorical decision making(I love thinking about the use of available means this way)Slide10
Before we go any further, two important notes:
What do we mean When we say “language?”
A system of words or signs, such as
The English languageHand gestures
Photographs
Umpire’s callsColors
(you can see where this is going)
What do we mean when we say “text?”
An object which can be “read,” such as
A book
Road signs (without words on them)
A painting, photograph, sculpture, collage
Advertisements
Flags
Memes
ClothingSlide11
And now to the vocabulary quiz material! But first, a tiny koala.Slide12
Welcome to the rhetorical situation.
Hey! Why is the rhetorical situation pictured as a triangle?
Hey! Why is there a door on this rhetorical situation triangle?
Hey! Why does exigence have hair?Slide13
At the heart of the rhetorical situation:
Rhetor
: more often called the
speaker or writer. Creator of the text.Audience: when we say audience, we mean Rhetorical Audience (the person/people who are able to be influenced and mediate change).
Message: what and how the
rhetor is persuading the audience.Slide14
Exigence
*Opportunity for change.
*A defect, imperfection, obstacle that calls for the
rhetor to act.*Is able to be changed through discourse (communication).RHETORIC FOLLOWS EXIGENCE. RHETORIC WOULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT EXIGENCE. Slide15
A break for extreme adorability because we’re coming down the home stretch.Slide16
One very important note about purpose.
Purpose is the
rhetor’s
bottom line reason for acting.It is not the message. S
ome texts have multiple messages.
Exigence is not purpose. Exigence is how the
rhetor
came to the purpose.Slide17
Walking through the door.
There is no rhetorical situation until a
rhetor
acts on exigence.There is no rhetorical situation if any of the corners of the triangle is missing.Slide18
The end.