The Field of Rhetoric

Abstract

In popular contemporary terms ‘rhetoric’ is often thought of as a derogatory expression referring to arguments that persuade you against your will. But this denigration of the topic is a fairly recent occurrence, an accident of history that has come into effect only in the last two hundred years. Traditionally, rhetoric has been concerned with persuasion: its art and technique. As such it has reached into all aspects of expression and communication, both positive and negative.