FROM ARISTOTLE TO BUSH: A Look at the Modes of Classical Rhetoric at Work in the Political Sphere
When George W. Bush's face fills a TV screen it is doubtful that many American's automatically think of Aristotle. After all, Aristotle is known as a powerful rhetorician and the Father of Classical Rhetoric and George W. Bush is widely thought of as a poor public speaker, so the two seem to have little in common. However, by taking a closer look at Aristotle's philosophies and George W. Bush's October 7, 2002 address on the Iraqi Threat, it becomes apparent that the two are in fact connected through the bonds of rhetoric. By analyzing Bush's use of Aristotle's modes of rhetoric, one can conclude that the art of persuading "others to true knowledge" (Bizzell, Herzberg 170) has withstood the test of time.
First, let's take a look at some of the key points in Aristotles conception of rhetoric. Aristotle believes that rhetoric is constructed in a hierarchy. He divides it into 2 categories ARTISTIC PROOFS and INARTISTIC PROOFS. The former exists when the rhetor must construct proof and the latter when he must interpret prexistant proofs. He further divides ARTISTIC PROOFS into 3 types of appeals*: logos, ethos, and pathos. These are the most prevalent components of Aristotle's methods for analyzing rhetoric. Therefore, we will concentrate upon these in our analysis of the speech.
*Aristotle's Appeals
- Logos: An appeal to logic which stresses rationality of an argument.
- Pathos: An appeal to an audience's emotions which raises feelings favorable to what the rhetor is trying to argue.
- Ethos: An appeal to the audience's sense of character which raises emotions in concurrence with the rhetor's morals.
To Get Started on a Rhetorical Analysis. . . . (Please visit links in order, things will make more sense)
Click here to read Bush's Speech (we'll be analyzing it later)!
Click here for MORE ON LOGOS!
Click here for MORE ON PATHOS!
Click here for MORE ON ETHOS!
Click here if you were wondering just where in the world all of this info came from!
Click here for the conclusion!
Email: klw@email.arizona.edu
