The Art of Rhetoric

420 Pages·1992·1.47 MB·English

by  Aristotle

THE ART OF RHETORIC
ARISTOTLE was born in Stageira, in the dominion of the kings of
Macedonia, in 384 BC. For twenty years he studied at Athens in the
Academy of Plato, on whose death in 347 he left, and, some time later,
became tutor of the young Alexander the Great. When Alexander
succeeded to the throne of Macedonia in 336, Aristotle returned to
Athens and established his school and research institute, the Lyceum, to
which his great erudition attracted a large number of scholars. After
Alexander’s death in 323, anti-Macedonian feeling drove Aristotle out of
Athens, and he fled to Chalcis in Euboea, where he died in 322. His
writings, which were of extraordinary range, profoundly affected the
whole course of ancient and medieval philosophy, and they are still
eagerly studied and debated by philosophers today. Very many of them
have survived and among the most famous are the Ethics and the Politics,
both of which are published in Penguin Classics, together with The
Athenian Constitution, De Anima, The Art of Rhetoric, Poetics and the
Metaphysics.
HUGH LAWSON-TANCRED was born in 1955 and educated at Eton and Balliol
College, Oxford. He is a Departmental Fellow in the Department of
Philosophy at Birkbeck College in the University of London. He has
published extensively on Aristotle and Plato and is currently engaged in
research in computational linguistics. He translates widely from the
Slavonic and Scandinavian languages. His translations of Aristotle’s The
Art of Rhetoric and De Anima are also published in Penguin Classics. He is
married with a daughter and two sons and lives in north London and
Somerset.
ARISTOTLE
The Art of Rhetoric
Translated with an Introduction and Notes by
H. C. LAWSON-TANCRED
PENGUIN BOOKS
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First published 1991
Reprinted with updated Bibliography 2004
19
Translation, Introduction and Notes copyright © H. C. Lawson-Tancred, 1991, 2004
All rights reserved The moral right of the translator has been asserted
Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not,
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purchaser 9780141910666
In Piam Memoriam
E.M.L.-T.
C O N T E N T S
Preface
Introduction
1. The Importance of Ancient Rhetoric
2. The Historical Background to the Rhetoric
3. Rhetoric as Techne
4. Psychology in the Rhetoric
5. Style and Composition
6. The Rhetorical Legacy of Aristotle
7. The Translation
THE ART OF RHETORIC
Section One: Introductory
Chapter 1.1. The Nature of Rhetoric
PART ONE: DEMONSTRATION
Section Two: The Genres of Oratory
Chapter 1.2. The Definition of Rhetoric
Chapter 1.3. The Genres
Section Three: Deliberation
Chapter 1.4. The Province of Deliberation
Chapter 1.5. Happiness
Chapter 1.6. The Good and the Expedient
Chapter 1.7. Relative Expediency
Chapter 1.8. Constitutions
Section Four: Display
Chapter 1.9. Display Oratory
Section Five: Litigation
Chapter 1.10. Injustice
Chapter 1.11. Pleasure
Chapter 1.12. The Criminal Mind
Chapter 1.13. Crime and Punishment
Chapter 1.14. Relatively Serious Crimes
Chapter 1.15. Non-technical Proofs
PART TWO: EMOTION AND CHARACTER
Section Six: Emotion
Chapter 2.1. The Role of Emotion and Character
Chapter 2.2. Anger
Chapter 2.3. Calm
Chapter 2.4. Friendship and Enmity
Chapter 2.5. Fear and Confidence
Chapter 2.6. Shame
Chapter 2.7. Favour
Chapter 2.8. Pity
Chapter 2.9. Indignation
Chapter 2.10. Envy
Chapter 2.11. Jealousy
Section Seven: Character
Chapter 2.12. Youth
Chapter 2.13. Old Age
Chapter 2.14. Prime
Chapter 2.15. Birth
Chapter 2.16. Wealth
Chapter 2.17. Power
PART THREE: UNIVERSAL ASPECTS
Section Eight: Common Topics
Chapter 2.18. The Role of Common Topics
Chapter 2.19. The Topics of Possibility
Chapter 2.20. Example
Chapter 2.21. Maxim
Chapter 2.22. Enthymeme
Chapter 2.23. Demonstrative Common Topics
Chapter 2.24. Illusory Topics
Chapter 2.25. Refutation
Chapter 2.26. Amplification
Section Nine: Style
Chapter 3.1. Historical Preliminary
Chapter 3.2. Clarity
Chapter 3.3. Frigidity
Chapter 3.4. Simile
Chapter 3.5. Purity
Chapter 3.6. Amplitude
Chapter 3.7. Propriety
Chapter 3.8. Rhythm
Chapter 3.9. Syntax
Chapter 3.10. Wit and Metaphor
Chapter 3.11. Vividness
Chapter 3.12. Suitability to Genre
Section Ten: Composition
Chapter 3.13. Narration and Proof
Chapter 3.14. The Introduction
Chapter 3.15. Prejudice