The Art of Rhetoric (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Aristotle (Author), Hugh Lawson-Tancred (Editor, Translator, Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 3, 1992 | Series: Penguin Classics

With the emergence of democracy in the city-state of Athens in the years around 460 BC, public speaking became an essential skill for politicians in the Assemblies and Councils and even for ordinary citizens in the courts of law. In response, the technique of rhetoric rapidly developed, bringing virtuoso performances and a host of practical manuals for the layman. While many of these were little more than collections of debaters' tricks, the Art of Rhetoric held a far deeper purpose. Here Aristotle (384 322 BC) establishes the methods of informal reasoning, provides the first aesthetic evaluation of prose style and offers detailed observations on character and the emotions. Hugely influential upon later Western culture, the Art of Rhetoric is a fascinating consideration of the force of persuasion and sophistry, and a compelling guide to the principles behind oratorical skill.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Aristotle was born in 384BC. For twenty years he studied at Athens at the Academy of Plato, on whose death in 347 he left, and some time later became tutor to Alexander the Great. On Alexander's succession to the throne of Macedonia in 336, Aristotle returned to Athens and established his school and research institute, the Lyceum. After Alexander's death he was driven out of Athens and feld to Chalcis in Euboea where he died in 322. His writings profoundly affected the whole course of ancient and medieval philosophy. HUGH LAWSON-TANCRED was born in 1955 and educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford. He is a Departmental Fellow in the Department of Philosophy at Birkbeck College in the University of London. He has published extensively on Aristotle and Plato and is currently engaged in research in computational linguistics. He translates widely from the Slavonic and Scandinavian languages. He is married with a daughter and two sons and lives in North London and Somerset.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (March 3, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140445102
• ISBN-13: 978-0140445107
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #76,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Law > Law Practice > Research

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to Rhetoric for beginners, October 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of Rhetoric (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

As an old philospohy student trying to break back into the topics I found this to be a nice intro to the philospohical study of Rhetoric.

The authors notes and chapter summaries are very helpful, making me look for other works he has translated. Also has large book intro which briefly outlines the formation of Rhetoric in Attic times, noting several other Greek orators and their works for additional reading.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Greatness, December 19, 2005

By 

Theodore (Ventura, CA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Art of Rhetoric (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

How could you not give this book five stars? Aristotle's Rhetoric contains the greatness of an all-time classic and I shall praise the book following Aristotle's instructions on how to praise something (1. 9). The Rhetoric is either the first or among the first books that teaches a speaker how to address an audience. It comes from the time of great scholarly activity in Ancient Greece and clearly exceeds one's expectations. Every page is consistently insightful and each paragraph teaches something new about human nature. We should invent an "Aristotelian Rhetoric" award and give it to speakers who are trying their best to persuade an audience. Finally, Aristotle compares to Shakespeare when it comes to clarifying the deepest and most obvious concerns we all have as human persons.

The translation of Lawson-Tancred is very readable and clear. His notes before each chapter makes one's reading of the Rhetoric smooth and enjoyable. Two things made me sad when I first opened the book: the chapters have been re-organized and I am depending on the Bekker numbers (ex. 1354a1) to find my way in other texts and the font is kind of tiny. But I do understand that the re-organized chapters logically follow the text and the tiny font becomes easier to read and allows for a modest-sized tome.

Aristotle writes that we pity the person who cannot enjoy a good thing, and a person who cannot enjoy the Rhetoric certainly ought to be pitied.

32 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very weak translation of a very important book, October 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of Rhetoric (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Both the introduction and the translation by Hugh Lawson-Tancred are very much below the standard one expects from Penguin. Most importantly, the English of the translation is frequently incomprehensible. I advise everyone who wants to study this masterpiece of a book to use another edition, e.g. that of George Kennedy, published by Oxford in 1991, or the Loeb edition. That is, if you want to understand why so many people in so many ages found this book brilliant!