Elements Of Rhetoric: Comprising An Analysis Of The Laws Of Moral Evidence And Of Persuasion - Softcover

Richard Whately

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0461589893 ISBN 13: 9780461589894

Publisher: HardPress, 2021

Synopsis

Elements Of Rhetoric: Comprising An Analysis Of The Laws Of Moral Evidence And Of Persuasion : With Rules For Argumentative Composition And Elocution by Richard Whately is a 19th-century treatise on rhetoric that surveys the theory and practice of persuasion, argument, and eloquence. The work is structured in four parts (Invention and Arrangement of Propositions and Arguments; Persuasion; Style; and Elocution), and an Appendix with extracts from other authors. Whately distinguishes rhetoric from logic, viewing rhetoric as an offshoot focused on producing conviction and guiding argumentative composition. He outlines the classification of arguments (a priori vs. from causes to effects; signs, examples, and testimonials), discusses the proper ordering of propositions, introduces ideas of credibility, presumption, and refutation, and emphasizes the role of passion, audience, and delivery in persuasive discourse. The Preface defends the aims of educating unpractised writers and argues for a middle course between extremes in rhetorical theory. The book remains a foundational text in the study of rhetorical theory and pedagogical approaches to writing and speaking.

Edition details

• Publisher: HardPress
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0461589893
• ISBN 13: 9780461589894
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 368