When first analyzing Aristotle's Rhetoric, I was introduced to the phrase, "mot juste." Borrowed from French, it refers to the use of the just or perfect word for a specific situation. Thus, its presence in rhetoric suggests that every situation has a moral dimension. It inspires the question: "How does one win the 'just' debate?" Thereby, we are introduced to the inseparable relationship between ethics and rhetoric. An idea that is presented throughout Rhetoric with the introduction of the three modes of persuasion. Therefore, Aristotle establishes ethics and rhetoric as inseparable through his analysis of the three modes of persuasion, which establish the place of ethics within the act of persuasion.
To persuade someone of your opinion, it is not enough to force your morals upon them. When others disagree with us, we often feel an obligation to convince them of our perspective by any means possible. However, we often fail at utilizing the art of persuasion that Aristotle lived by. Aristotle believed in three important factors necessary to achieve persuasion. …show more content…
Thereby, appealing to the audience's sense of logic. This aspect of persuasion deals with that which is naturally right. To persuade an audience of what is naturally right and logical, one must present their audience with facts and statistics to support a claim. For example, many individuals believe it is appropriate to deny the existence of evolution or to question the prevalence of climate change. However, they offer little reliable data supporting these opinions. Thus, their argument is not just and often fails to convince others of their perspective. Therefore, the "just" debate must include reasonable and logical facts in order to persuade an audience. This presents the inseparable nature of ethics and rhetoric as the use of logos is critical to the successful act of
To persuade someone of your opinion, it is not enough to force your morals upon them. When others disagree with us, we often feel an obligation to convince them of our perspective by any means possible. However, we often fail at utilizing the art of persuasion that Aristotle lived by. Aristotle believed in three important factors necessary to achieve persuasion. …show more content…
Thereby, appealing to the audience's sense of logic. This aspect of persuasion deals with that which is naturally right. To persuade an audience of what is naturally right and logical, one must present their audience with facts and statistics to support a claim. For example, many individuals believe it is appropriate to deny the existence of evolution or to question the prevalence of climate change. However, they offer little reliable data supporting these opinions. Thus, their argument is not just and often fails to convince others of their perspective. Therefore, the "just" debate must include reasonable and logical facts in order to persuade an audience. This presents the inseparable nature of ethics and rhetoric as the use of logos is critical to the successful act of