CLASS280 Lecture 18: Aristotle
Document Summary
Son of a physician in the service of the macedonian court. Moved to athens in 367 to study at the academy. Expected to be successor of plato in the academy -> was instead overlooked. No one opposed because he was close with alexander (couldn"t oppose him) Any man needed to have this in order to express or defend himself. Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing, in any given case, the available means of persuasion (rhetoric 1. 2) 2) the argument (-the way the facts are presented) Only the argument is governed by rhetoric (rhetoric should not govern the facts) Of the mode of persuasion governed by rhetoric there are three kinds: the character of the speaker; the opinion of the audience, and the persuasive argument as proof. (rhetoric 1. 2) Authority is a measure of other people"s confidence in you (establish your credibility and authority as fast as possible) All audiences are in the position of judges.