CCST2110 Communication and Rhetoric

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CCST2110Communication and Rhetoric

• The 5 Canons Invention

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But firsta timetable change

• What the syllabus currently obscurely says
• Omits a day

• What it should clearly say
• We will meet next Thursday but Thursday but the
  19, we will NOT meet. Use this as a reading
  week.

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So what have students been learning for 2500
years?

• The 5 canon (think canonical) of rhetoric provide
  the outlines for learning rhetorical skills for
  speaking and writing (Argument).
• They also provide a good starting point for
  analysisbut only a starting point.

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What are you talking about?

• In speaking and writing, it is important to name
  your thesis or identify the issue at hand.
• Quintillian/Law/Politics Stasis Theory
• An Sit--question of fact
• Quid Sit--question of definition
• Quale Sit--question of quality/kind
• Jurisdiction--and so who decides?

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Classical Example of Stasis

• Did Brutus, as has been alleged, kill Caesar?
• If it is granted that Brutus did kill Caesar, was
  the act murder or self-defense?
• If it was in fact murder, was Brutus justified in
  murdering Caesar?
• Who is in a position to do anything about this?

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A not-so-classical example(heard on channel 9)

• Speaker John Howard to Channel 9 presenter
• Is Mark Latham a Leader?no, Mark Latham is not a
  Leader.
• Not only is he not a leader for the nation, he
  is not a leader for his own party.
• As my colleague said in parliament, hes more of
  a magic pudding when it comes to their policy.
• Whats more, I am leader now and plan to be after
  the next election.

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Rhetorical Strategy Shifting Stasis

• Sometimes people in debate truly give arguments
  that dont match up.
• But, many times, in politics especially, there is
  an attempt to shift stasisthe issue in question.
  
• Consider The question isnt whether the labour
  party likes the free trade agreement. Its a
  good policy. The question is whether they will
  support Australia. (John Howard)

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Shifting Stasis/ Changing the Burden of Proof

• Formally, in law, one side has the burden of
  proof. E.g. innocent until proven guilty
• Exceptpreponderance of evidence
• Compare to shifting stasis

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The 5 Canons of Rhetoric
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Invention

• First Questions
• Audience
• Decorum
• Kairos

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Invention

• What kind of occasion?
• Deliberative (policy, future-oriented, the way
  we should think about things)
• Judicial/Forensic (establishes past fact)
• Ceremonial (the noble and the base)

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Copia The Common Topicsor, what to do when
staring at the ceiling or the blank page

• Definition
• Genus
• Division

• Comparison
• Similarity
• Difference
• Degree

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More Common Topics

• Relationship
• Cause and effect
• Antecedent and consequence
• Contraries
• Contradictions

• Circumstances
• Possible and impossible
• Past fact and future fact

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And one more common topic

• Testimony
• Authority
• Testimonial (oaths)
• Statistics
• Maxims
• Law
• Precedent

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But my brain fails meExternal aids to invention

• Biography
• Books of Quotation
• Periodical indexes
• Handbooks
• Dictionaries
• Bibliographies
• Syntopicon

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The Enthymeme getting the audience to follow you

• Enthymeme
• Beatrice will fail her exam because she hasnt
  studied.
• Enthymeme A syllogism with a missing or hidden
  premise.

• Syllogism
• Socrates is a man.
• All men are mortal.
• Therefore, Socrates is mortal.

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Discursive Repertoires

• Weve mentioned law, how about
• --Universities?
• --scientific organisations?
• --successful politicians?
• --pop stars?

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Inventing the Self

• Ethos, Pathos, Logos and invention
• The construction of ethos is an inventional
  moment.
• Rhetorical Personae Addresser within a
  discursive frame

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Discursive Repertoires

• Rhetorical actors favour certain inventional
  resources.
• Challenge Choose a public figure and try to
  identify the inventional preferences in their
  discursive repertoires. Do they favour
  testimony? Contradictions? (WARNING dont try
  this on your partner/family).

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SoHow do Rhetorical Actors come up with
arguments?

• Inventional Strategies
• Shifting stasis
• Audience research (decorum, kairos)
• The enthymeme
• Developing a characteristic discursive repertoire

• Inventional Resources
• Occasion/type of discourse
• Common Topics
• External aids to invention
• Topoi or commonplaces
• Institutional repertoires