Aristotelian Rhetoric: An Evolution of Sophist’s Discredited Methodology

Scholars of rhetoric consider the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, one of the great contributors to our present understanding of this art which, since its early origins and until present, has been a controversial field of study because of its association with persuasion and influence. However, an examination of ancient rhetoric and its development by the Sophists and then a study on Aristotle’s theory on rhetoric and how he concluded his findings direct our attention to whether this Greek philosopher only included in his theory what he described as inadequate and non-fundamental Sophistic teachings, or actually built up his theory on their techniques, long bashed and overlooked. In this essay, I consider Aristotle’s rhetoric is an evolution of the Sophists’ discredited methodology. I assert that the sophistic contribution to Aristotle’s theory is more than a partial inclusion of their teachings disdained by ancient orthodox philosophers and some modern scholars. Examined readings of his theory on the art of rhetoric demonstrate his elaborate use of many of sophistic perspectives. Thus, the Aristotelian rhetoric, at heart of the development of our modern studies in this field, can be considered an evolution of the Sophists’ rhetoric, which has lately been the center of study by many scholars who called for a re-evaluation of the Sophists’ long disdained and overlooked techniques.

In order to explain my argument, I will briefly review the main tenets of the sophistic rhetoric and why Plato condemned such rhetoric “foul” and “ugly,” but later retracted and stated that there was a “good rhetoric.” Finally, I will justify why the Aristotelian rhetoric can be perceived as a systemized evolution and progression of the sophist rhetoric.

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...oulakos claimed that Aristotle “overpowered the rhetoric of the sophists, further helping to discredit their position for centuries” (Allen, 1994, p. 11).

Works Cited

1- Allen, J., (March, 1994). Aristotle and Social-Epistemic Rhetoric: The Systematizing of the Sophist Legacy. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Nashville, TN. Paper retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED370110&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED370110

2 – Jarratt, S., (1998). Rereading the Sophists: Classical Rhetoric Refigured. Carbondale Southern Illinois University Press. Book retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2156/Reader

3- Herrick, J., (2009). The History and Theory of Rhetoric: An Introduction. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.