Download Rori T. Stubbs Maj Garriott ERH-201WX December 6th, 2015 HR

Rori T. Stubbs
Maj Garriott
ERH-201WX
December 6th, 2015
HR: Writing Center, Reference Page, Professor, Ben Richie and Austin Holmes
Reflective Research Paper
Throughout the Semester, we have discussed many rhetorical aspects of various cultures.
It is vital to understand what these cultures believed so that we can better understand their history
and our thought processes even today. Although the textbooks had a wealth of information, most
of what I learned came from class discussions where we were able to apply what we learned
from our readings. From discussing politics and current events of the world, to the acceptance of
women at the Virginia Military Institute, we discussed a great deal practicing our rhetoric and in
return, we began to refine our very own views of what rhetoric actually is. Were it not for
learning the methods and ideas of different cultures on rhetoric, the Techne of Rhetoric today
could quite possibly be viewed as mindless ramblings. Adding to that, I believe the most
influential cultures, were the Greeks and Romans who developed a rhetoric that created the very
foundation of their cultures. Being that rhetoric is an art of persuasion; I found it interesting to
read and see examples of western rhetoric. It was through learning these styles of rhetoric and
why people chose to communicate the way they did, that we are able to analyze arguments of
people today and make our own judgments on their validity. After spending the semester reading
and learning more about rhetoric, I believe that rhetoric is a Techne that is unique within each
culture of a civilization and it belongs to the people.
One of the premier civilizations of western rhetoric is Greece. Most of what I learned
about Ancient Greece was through my reading of the texts of Herrick, Gorgias, Protagoras, De
Oratore and other writings. Compared to the East (i.e. Eastern Europe, Middle East and Asiatic
nations), Greek and western rhetoric in general is easier to relate to due to its influence on
present day society. Ancient Greece was composed of numerous city-states with one of its most
prominent and influential being Athens. In Athens, there emerged a group known as The
Sophists. The Sophists were renowned for being able to argue anything. They felt all debates
could be argued from either side and they taught their students the art of persuasion. The sophists
created quite a commotion due to their judicial rhetoric which was responsible for defending
many of Athens’ criminals. For this, Plato would berate them for their lack of concern for
focusing on the truth. (Herrick)
Like many other intellectuals at the time, Plato found the Sophists to be rude. His
problem with rhetoric at the time was that it did not debate based on fact. The Sophists made
assumptions and argued, questioning everything. Plato believed that arguments should be moral
and based on expanding knowledge since a rhetorician wields a power over the demos or
populous. This is where I have to disagree with Plato. Though I agree with rhetoric having to
contain nothing but the Truth, I find it ironic that someone who wanted to “benefit” society
viewed rhetoric as belonging to the noble classes and utilizing rhetoric to control the general
population. History has shown that this method divides a society rather than uniting it. Take the
British Empire and the American colonies for example. The English nobility kept imposing harsh
laws and taxes upon the American colonists without ever giving them a say. This led to the
American Revolution which eventually led to the creation of a brand new nation; The United
States of America. With rhetoric in the hands of the people, it is a powerful tool to change “the
will of the people past its status as a doxa, or a common idea or thought” (Hauser 262).
Through oppression, the colonists used rhetoric to convince their fellow countrymen to take up
arms and rise against their “noble oppressors,” which can be viewed as a Sophistic view, going
against what Plato stood for. This is a prime example of how keeping rhetoric to only a select
few ends in disaster.
Without these Greek influences, western rhetoric would not be what it is today. Without
the different influences of The Sophists and Plato, there might not have been an America and the
demographic of the world would be completely different than what it is today. At the very least,
it would certainly have had a negative impact on the Roman’s and their rhetorical strategy.
Roman rhetoric, although not the same, was heavily influenced by Greek rhetors. Like
Greece and when Rome was a Republic before and Empire, rhetoric was very clear in
Democracy. Unlike Greece however, “The ruling elite viewed rhetoric with suspicion, leading
the Roman Senate to ban the teaching of rhetoric.”(Williams 12) Where rhetoric in Greece was
viewed as a tool, the Roman Senate saw it as a weapon in which the people could use it to make
social changes which would cause conflict among the rulers. Men like Crassus and Cicero who
were legal orators, were seen as threats by the rulers for their use of rhetoric. In His book, De
Inventione, Cicero highlighted the five cannons of rhetoric: invention, arrangement, expression,
memory, and delivery. Though Cicero was not the original author of the cannons, he still
delivered them with great explanation in his writings. These cannons defined the processes of
developing and giving a legitimate argument that the audience could understand and would
follow. With this rhetoric, people are able to influence “men’s hearts to anger, hatred, or
indignation, or in recalling them from these same passions to mildness and mercy.” (Cicero 55)
These teachings of rhetoric were a prime example of why it was dangerous in the hands of the
people, which led to the banning of the teaching of rhetoric in Rome. With the lack of persuasive
speeches in democratic forums, this brought about severe consequences during the transition of
the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. With the ban of rhetoric in political forums, it was
only viewed as a means of entertainment. This led to the natural curiosity of people to search for
the rhetoric of the past, “focusing on the work of Greek Sophists, leading to the Second
Sophistic.” (Williams 13) Even centuries later, against Plato’s arguments, Sophism evidently
has shown its influence on Rome.
The lessons in rhetoric by the Greeks and the Romans, both the good and the bad have
shaped many societies today. By separating the world by the East and West, one can clearly see a
difference in use of rhetoric and which side’s societies are more successful. In the West where
there are many more democracies than the East, nations have given voice and rhetoric to the
people, allowing them to give their own views, for according to the Author Robert Ivie,
“Rhetoric should be promoting a thriving democracy in which no competing perspectives or
interests are suppressed.” (Ivie 261) This freedom of speech allows for the development and
advancement of a society which also lessens the potential of riots and anarchy. Looking over to
the Eastern hemisphere, though there are some forms of rhetoric such as “Ritual Rhetoric”
(Binkley 16), freedom of speech is not as common and only used by the elite and just like the
Roman elite. Ritual Rhetoric was focused on the elite of a nation and it “influenced and
reinforced political claims to power.” (Lipson 41) Nations in the East sought out to get rid of
rhetoric and essentially oppressing the people. This can be related to many of the Middle Eastern
countries and their simultaneous revolutions which has been called the “Arab Spring.” As stated
earlier, history has shown that taking away rhetoric from the people and not allowing them to
develop their own arguments and opinions, leads to the demise of an entire nation. Though there
are flaws in Western rhetoric, particularly with politics, they still allow rhetoric to be practiced
and the current events show that western nations are well rounded and less likely to fall.
Needless to say, rhetoric has a huge impact on our everyday lives and it comes from all
over the world. Every communication we use has at some point been thought through and
searched for the optimum method of convincing others. With the power of words, it is important
we understand the consequences of our communication and what our true purposes are. Like
many of the great philosophers and rhetoricians have found, it is vital that eloquence be used
with wisdom and the utmost. Now we must look at how our rhetoric is or isn’t being used and
how that can factor in our possible demise. Modern day politicians and even the media have
started to chip away at the use of rhetoric by the people. The fear of being shunned by everyone
via the media is the exact opposite of what a Democracy is supposed to do. If people are afraid to
voice their opinions, then there is no development and progress as a society. That is why I
stressed the influence that Greek and Rome had upon our society today with both their successes
and their mistakes. Taking the freedom of speech from the people is a quick way to bring the
downfall of a nation. Allowing the common man to practice rhetoric and let his voice and
arguments be heard are vital to the success of a culture and society. Rather than looking down
upon someone for what they say, we should encourage them even if we do not agree with what
they say. Words have power and with the Techne of Rhetoric, we must use it to our advantage to
enhance our ethics and morals to ensure that future generations will not have to suffer the
consequences that Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome and even the modern day nations in the
Middle East faced.
References
Hauser, Gerard A., and Chantal Benoit-Barne. “Reflections on Rhetoric, Deliberative
Democracy, Civil Society, and Trust”. Rhetoric and Public Affairs 5.2 (2002):
261–275. Web...
Ivie, Robert L. “Rhetorical Deliberation and Democratic Politics in the Here and
Now”. Rhetoric and Public Affairs 5.2 (2002): 277–285. Web...
Cicero, Marcus Tullius., and H. Rackham. De Oratore. De Fato ; Paradoxa Stoicorum ;
De Partitione Oratoria. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1942. Print.
Herrick, James. "Two Influential Sophists." The History and Theory of Rhetoric. 05th ed. Upper
Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2005. 39-48. Print.
Williams, James D. An Introduction to Classical Rhetoric: Essential Readings. Chichester, U.K.:
Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print.
Lipson, Carol, and Roberta A. Binkley. Ancient Non-Greek Rhetorics. N.p.: Parlor Press, 2009
Print,