The Essential Guide to Rhetoric

Using both historical and contemporary examples, Essential Guide to Rhetoric helps you build a strong foundation in understanding the key components of rhetoric.

Preface
PART 1 Rhetoric in Theory
1. The Rhetorical Tradition
Defining Rhetoric
Rhetoric in Practice
The Origins of Rhetoric
Rhetoric Today
2. Rhetoric and the Audience
The Audience’s Role
Classical Strategies for Thinking about Audiences
Are Audiences Made or Found?
From Audiences to Publics
Adapting to Audiences and Publics
The Role of Language
Ethics, Audiences, and Publics
3. Situations and Speech Types
Aristotle’s Three Types of Speeches
Cicero and the Speaker’s Intent
Looking beyond Classifications
PART 2 Rhetoric in Action
4. Argument and Persuasion
Proofs: Ways of Being Persuasive
Topoi: Tools for Discovering Arguments
Stock Issues
Fallacies
Challenging Traditional Rhetoric’s Focus on Logos
A Rhetorical Vision of Argument
5. Organization
Organizational Patterns
Parts of a Speech
Sample Speech
6. Style
Figures
Tropes
7. Rhetoric in Contemporary Life
Rhetoric and Public Speaking
Rhetoric and Online Communication
Rhetoric and Reasonable Politics
Glossary
Notes
Index