Not a rhetorical question
May 13, 2009 9:05 PM Subscribe
What are the best books to read to learn how to use rhetoric effectively?
I liked How to Win Every Argument: An Introduction to Critical Thinking. It includes the ways to use logic properly, and use illogic underhandedly.
posted by philomathoholic at 12:14 AM on May 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by philomathoholic at 12:14 AM on May 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Be more specific. Do you mean winning arguments? Or writing academically? Or crafting brilliant speeches? Or detecting flaws in others' logic? Or analyzing prose? Or talking about spaces and places and things that make us think certain ideas?
Or...?
posted by hpliferaft at 1:00 AM on May 14, 2009
Or...?
posted by hpliferaft at 1:00 AM on May 14, 2009
Best answer: On Rhetoric by Aristotle (I like the Kennedy translation)
Rhetorica ad Herennium by Cicero (actually of unknown authorship, but many publishers attribute it to Cicero); Topics by Cicero is pretty good too
anything by Robert Corbett, like Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student or Selected Essays of Edward P.J. Corbett
anything by Wayne Booth, such as the Rhetoric of Rhetoric or Modern Dogma and the Rhetoric of Assent
anything by Burke, especially Language as a Symbolic Action
Uses of Argument by Toulmin
A Rulebook for Arguments by Weston is a nice down-and-dirty guide to logical fallacies
Silva Rhetoricae is a good website for the what-do-they-call-that questions
The next three are less nuts-and-bolts and more theory, but you may like them:
Metaphors we Live By, by Lakoff and Johnson
Ideas Have Consequences by Weaver
I and Thou by Buber is a more interpersonal communication book, but you may find it interesting
I have a degree in rhetoric, so DM me if you want more specific recommendations.
posted by lockestockbarrel at 7:38 AM on May 14, 2009 [6 favorites]
Rhetorica ad Herennium by Cicero (actually of unknown authorship, but many publishers attribute it to Cicero); Topics by Cicero is pretty good too
anything by Robert Corbett, like Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student or Selected Essays of Edward P.J. Corbett
anything by Wayne Booth, such as the Rhetoric of Rhetoric or Modern Dogma and the Rhetoric of Assent
anything by Burke, especially Language as a Symbolic Action
Uses of Argument by Toulmin
A Rulebook for Arguments by Weston is a nice down-and-dirty guide to logical fallacies
Silva Rhetoricae is a good website for the what-do-they-call-that questions
The next three are less nuts-and-bolts and more theory, but you may like them:
Metaphors we Live By, by Lakoff and Johnson
Ideas Have Consequences by Weaver
I and Thou by Buber is a more interpersonal communication book, but you may find it interesting
I have a degree in rhetoric, so DM me if you want more specific recommendations.
posted by lockestockbarrel at 7:38 AM on May 14, 2009 [6 favorites]
Rhetoric is defined in different ways. Let me drop some science here.
In ancient Greece and Rome, rhetoric was the art of public speaking.
First, you have to understand that the Greeks didn't have books. Reading materials were prohibitively expensive to mass produce, so to become popular, you had to become a good public speaker, or rhetor. The Sophists were the first men who became known for teaching oratory. They were much-maligned due to their tendentious relativism (they said truth is only probable, but never absolute) and desire to make a buck from teaching. Isocrates was a big name too, but he's not remembered with nearly as much infamy. Then Socrates and Plato (I say both because Socrates never actually wrote any of his shit down) came around and flipped the script on the Sophists by philosophical means, which has profound philosophical implications, but that's not relevant to your question. Last, but most important of the Greeks, is Plato's student, Aristotle.
Greek texts:
-Above all, read Aristotle's Rhetoric. It's a must, even if you just want to learn everyday argumentation.
-For some historical context, read Gorgias' "Encomium of Helen" (don't worry; it's short) and then read Plato's Gorgias to witness Plato's brutal beatdown of rhetoric as a morally empty art of persuasion.
-Plato's Phaedrus is also a crucial text.
Now, the Romans bit off everything Greeks invented--government, arts, conflict, philosophy, you name it--but to them, rhetoric became known foremost in political contexts. Marcus T. Cicero was the original gangsta of Roman rhetoric, but honorable mention should go to Quintilian who rocked the crowds as the leader of the new school of rhetors who wanted to eschew the flowery fakery of his contemporary rappers.
Roman texts:
Cicero's On Invention is the one you want.
Quintilian's Institutes of Oratory is, as described on that site, "exhaustive." So true.
After the Romans, rhetoric became mostly subsumed by Christian philosophy. Several prominent thinkers put out work that touched on rhetoric, but everyone still sweated Greek and Roman rhetoricians more than their contemporaries.
Modern rhetoric has entered the domain of public discourse and exploded the definition of what a text can be (and do).
Some highlights:
-Ideology (in language) has been a hot topic in the last century. Louis Althusser's "Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses", a pplitical essay, is the starting point. For a follow up that hits closer to rhetoric, try Michael Calvin McGee's "The Ideograph".
-Kenneth Burke is a god among rhetoricians, but his work is very dense. I don't suggest jumping into any of his books immediately. If you read enough rhetorical theory, you'll figure out which book to get into.
-the rhetoric of science is one of the most distant discourses from classical rhetoric. It's concern is to determine how the creation of knowledge through "science" is influenced by language. Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions is a must-read.
-Then there's post-structuralism, but that's best saved for another time.
-Also, check out Marshall McLuhan for his idea of media as extensions of the human body.
If you want to write better essays, there are all sorts of books out there. They're all more or less helpful, but the only way to get better at writing essays is to write and read a lot.
- Try keeping a journal in which you think critically about stuff you witness.
- Whenever you see a movie, think about what was convincing and what wasn't. Even fictional movies are argumentative in that they try to convince you to believe a story.
- Read a variety of different types of texts - essays, literature, graphic novels, poetry, movies, public art, etc. The objective is to figure out different ways arguments are made. This will help you think critically. Remember, texts can be more than just words.
- Engage people in conversation in which you can argue and deliberate about concepts. And get used to thinking critically about your everyday assumptions.
- Read books of criticism. Watch dvd commentaries. Read about politics. Look for arguments in your world.
- Listen to stand-up comedy. Comedians have to practice a lot at choosing the right words for the job.
- One last thing - try to listen to the language you use. Do you use lots of general phrases like "that's cool," "that sucks," "that's... you know, whatever," "that was okay," and words like that? Try challenging yourself to further articulate your thoughts on it. I think you'll be surprised at how much you can say about an everyday occurrence.
posted by hpliferaft at 12:08 PM on May 18, 2009 [6 favorites]
In ancient Greece and Rome, rhetoric was the art of public speaking.
First, you have to understand that the Greeks didn't have books. Reading materials were prohibitively expensive to mass produce, so to become popular, you had to become a good public speaker, or rhetor. The Sophists were the first men who became known for teaching oratory. They were much-maligned due to their tendentious relativism (they said truth is only probable, but never absolute) and desire to make a buck from teaching. Isocrates was a big name too, but he's not remembered with nearly as much infamy. Then Socrates and Plato (I say both because Socrates never actually wrote any of his shit down) came around and flipped the script on the Sophists by philosophical means, which has profound philosophical implications, but that's not relevant to your question. Last, but most important of the Greeks, is Plato's student, Aristotle.
Greek texts:
-Above all, read Aristotle's Rhetoric. It's a must, even if you just want to learn everyday argumentation.
-For some historical context, read Gorgias' "Encomium of Helen" (don't worry; it's short) and then read Plato's Gorgias to witness Plato's brutal beatdown of rhetoric as a morally empty art of persuasion.
-Plato's Phaedrus is also a crucial text.
Now, the Romans bit off everything Greeks invented--government, arts, conflict, philosophy, you name it--but to them, rhetoric became known foremost in political contexts. Marcus T. Cicero was the original gangsta of Roman rhetoric, but honorable mention should go to Quintilian who rocked the crowds as the leader of the new school of rhetors who wanted to eschew the flowery fakery of his contemporary rappers.
Roman texts:
Cicero's On Invention is the one you want.
Quintilian's Institutes of Oratory is, as described on that site, "exhaustive." So true.
After the Romans, rhetoric became mostly subsumed by Christian philosophy. Several prominent thinkers put out work that touched on rhetoric, but everyone still sweated Greek and Roman rhetoricians more than their contemporaries.
Modern rhetoric has entered the domain of public discourse and exploded the definition of what a text can be (and do).
Some highlights:
-Ideology (in language) has been a hot topic in the last century. Louis Althusser's "Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses", a pplitical essay, is the starting point. For a follow up that hits closer to rhetoric, try Michael Calvin McGee's "The Ideograph".
-Kenneth Burke is a god among rhetoricians, but his work is very dense. I don't suggest jumping into any of his books immediately. If you read enough rhetorical theory, you'll figure out which book to get into.
-the rhetoric of science is one of the most distant discourses from classical rhetoric. It's concern is to determine how the creation of knowledge through "science" is influenced by language. Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions is a must-read.
-Then there's post-structuralism, but that's best saved for another time.
-Also, check out Marshall McLuhan for his idea of media as extensions of the human body.
If you want to write better essays, there are all sorts of books out there. They're all more or less helpful, but the only way to get better at writing essays is to write and read a lot.
- Try keeping a journal in which you think critically about stuff you witness.
- Whenever you see a movie, think about what was convincing and what wasn't. Even fictional movies are argumentative in that they try to convince you to believe a story.
- Read a variety of different types of texts - essays, literature, graphic novels, poetry, movies, public art, etc. The objective is to figure out different ways arguments are made. This will help you think critically. Remember, texts can be more than just words.
- Engage people in conversation in which you can argue and deliberate about concepts. And get used to thinking critically about your everyday assumptions.
- Read books of criticism. Watch dvd commentaries. Read about politics. Look for arguments in your world.
- Listen to stand-up comedy. Comedians have to practice a lot at choosing the right words for the job.
- One last thing - try to listen to the language you use. Do you use lots of general phrases like "that's cool," "that sucks," "that's... you know, whatever," "that was okay," and words like that? Try challenging yourself to further articulate your thoughts on it. I think you'll be surprised at how much you can say about an everyday occurrence.
posted by hpliferaft at 12:08 PM on May 18, 2009 [6 favorites]
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posted by sonic meat machine at 10:40 PM on May 13, 2009 [4 favorites]