Let's keep this short and sweet.
Not that I could have defined "rhetoric" before starting this course, but now I am even more confused. After reading Herrick's "An Overview of Rhetoric" I realized that there is no easy way to define the word. It seems like everyone has their own opinion on the word's meaning. I like to think of rhetoric as a powerful debate tool and, although this may have a negative connotation, it allows a person to win the audience over. We saw a perfect example of this in the short clips we watched in class.
It would be interesting to hear everyone's thoughts on whether rhetoric as a debate tool has a positive or negative connotation.
I think that rhetoric typically has a negative connotation because what is most newsworthy isn't the clear, logical argument, but the outrageous, different argument. What isn't as clear is that rhetoric is used to prove the truth. To prove something that isn't true, one must find innovative ways to argue their point and these stand out. Finally, politicians will decry their opponent's claims as being "rhetoric", further giving this word a negative connotation.
ReplyDeleteI still have not decided whether rhetoric has a positive or negative connotation. On the one hand, it is positive because we all use it and it is the way we persuade people to believe us. This usefulness alone makes it positive. However, this persuasion is also what makes it have a negative connotation because some people can take it to the extreme. For example, the main character in "Thank You for Smoking" was an expert in rhetoric, but what he was doing was unethical because he was distracting people from the issues of smoking. I guess rhetoric is just one of those things that needs to be used in moderation and with ethical intentions.
ReplyDeleteI think rhetoric could be both depending on the situation. Over the weekend I decided to rent "Thank You For Smoking" and the whole entire time I was watching it, "Rhetoric" just kept popping up in my mind. Throughout the entire movie, I keep seeing good and bad examples of rhetoric...mostly negative actually (because of the message the characters were trying to get across), but in the end, there was a positive rhetoric, when he showed his son that being a role model was way more important than being a big person from a big cigarette company trying to convince people to smoke.
ReplyDeleteI agree with not exactly knowing the true meaning of rhetoric, but before it was brought up in class i had no idea what it was. After the class discussions and clips, i feel to actually be able to point out rhetoric now in the real world. It seems though as if "rhetoric" is a form of persuading with not many specifics on how it needs to be executed except to win the "argument" in the end.
ReplyDeleteI believe has a very negative connotation and I find this very unfortunate. To me, it seems like rhetoric should be a word without a connotation... like "sidewalk." Yes, rhetoric can be used for terrible things (the Holocaust comes to mind) but it can also be used for good things too (such as inspiring the nations and military forces that ended the Holocaust).
ReplyDeleteSadly to say, rhetoric definitely has negative connotations. It is a powerful tool that can be used in a positive way, but there are those that abuse it.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time seeing the necessity for rhetoric. I think it is a very useful tool and makes persuasion easier for the "rhetor" but I think you need to be able to sell your idea without overt rhetoric. Of course, this is impossible as every decision we make is one that includes rhetoric, as our readings describe even our most close relationships are filled with rhetoric. We cannot evade rhetoric completely, but we can stick to the facts and use minimal tools of rhetoric to impress our audience. It can be done tastefully, but I often feel like it is a lot of bells and whistles to distract you. A bit cynical, I know.
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