Rhetoric

The world is indebted to the Greeks as a result of their achievement in literature and art but much more than this, they were given to arguments that fueled reason. They were also the founders of liberty of thought and discussion which was done through rhetoric. There have been various definitions of rhetoric and notable among these definitions is the knowing that rhetoric is a form of communication that aims at persuading others to buy into a concept or prompt them to take action Aristotle was important as one of the founders of rhetoric.

Men as a result of differences assumed various positions in time past through many means but one major approach that stood them out was the way they communicated. To some also, ascendancy to nobility in time past was achieved through communication, and men through the apparatus of their speeches were accepted to rule or they were condemned to scorn. By the finesse in their communication, people argued their causes and they were justified or condemned.

In persuading people, Aristotle made the case for rhetoric and he opined on three elements crucial to rhetoric which are ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos in this guise means that whatever you say must be credible and it must follow an ethical standard conforming to what is considered morally acceptable in society. This can be developed by building credibility within a domain. So, a person communicating must adhere to ethical standards when presenting his views. While pathos emphasizes a connection with emotions. What you say must resonate with the emotional condition of people as they are emotional and they respond to it. While logos has ties with logic putting evidence and facts into play. While communicating, you must present your points from the standpoint of logic, not hearsay or other controversies.

It is thus crucial to understand that communication is an art that can be learned and it is also a survival skill. At every stage of your life, you will communicate and this is a defining factor that distinguishes humans. You cannot afford not to be able to communicate and in doing that you must be ethically prudent, pathologically sound, and logically driven in your thoughts.