On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse [Paperback]

Aristotle (Author), George A. Kennedy (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 13, 2006

This new edition of George A. Kennedy's highly acclaimed translation and commentary offers the most faithful English version ever published of On Rhetoric. Based on careful study of the Greek text and informed by the best modern scholarship, the second edition has been fully revised and updated. As in the first edition, Kennedy makes the work readily accessible to modern students by providing an insightful general introduction, helpful section introductions, a detailed outline, extensive explanatory notes, and a glossary of Aristotle's rhetorical terms. Striving to convey a sense of Aristotle's distinctive way of thinking, Kennedy preserves the meaning and technical language of the original text, explaining it in detail as opposed to simplifying it as other translations do.

Updated and expanded in light of recent scholarship, the second edition features:

* A revised introduction with two new sections: "The Strengths and Limitations of On Rhetoric" and "Aristotle's Original Audience and His Audience Today"
* A more user-friendly format: running heads now include book and chapter numbers
* An updated bibliography
* Revised appendices that provide translations of new supplementary texts--Socrates' Critique of Sophistic Rhetoric; Lysias' Speech Against the Grain Dealers; two selections from Isocrates (from Against the Sophists and from the Antidosis); selections from Rhetoric for Alexander; and Demosthenes' Third Philippic--and an extensive revision of George A. Kennedy's essay "The Earliest Rhetorical Handbooks"

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for the previous edition:

"[This book] is much more than a translation; it is a guide to the literature, a mini-commentary, and a do-it-yourself manual to understanding Aristotle. . . . [It] deserves to be the standard translation for decades to come."--Quarterly Journal of Speech

"George Kennedy has taken on a difficult job--providing a scholarly edition of the Rhetoric that will also serve as a textbook for students--and has succeeded admirably. His introduction gives an excellent overview of Aristotle's work and is a pleasure to read. The chapter-by-chapter outline is magnificent."--Erika Lindemann, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"Easy-to-read, trustworthy, and has the added distinction of bringing out more clearly than any other translation the way Aristotle's reasoning works. It will improve the general state of Aristotle studies in the English-speaking world."--Thomas Conley, University of Illinois

"Kennedy's extensive use of footnotes and careful editing allow students access to Aristotle's writings as few other translations are able to do. This book is a must for any contemporary study of classical rhetorical theory."--James J. Tarbox, Oregon State University

About the Author

George A. Kennedy is at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Emeritus).

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2 edition (June 13, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195305094
• ISBN-13: 978-0195305098
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #379,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great footnotes, October 3, 2008

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laura157 (OK, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse (Paperback)

The footnotes on this text are great. A lot of the wording can be heavy for a first read-through of Aristotle, and Kennedy does his best to make Aristotle more accessible to people who are new to Rhetoric.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Capacity of Persuasion, May 8, 2008

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Michael A Neulander "Political Philosophy" (VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse (Paperback)

I read these works for a graduate seminar on Aristotle.

Definition of Rhetoric- capacity of persuasion. Plato is critical of the Rhetoric and the tragic poetry. Rhetoric is approach to political public speeches in the forum. Plato thought that they clouded the mind and thus created a part of his critique of democracy in general. Plato thinks Socrates was killed by rhetoric used by the Athenian democracy. Plato feared the danger of democracy. Poetry appeals to the base human emotions rhetoric, and poetry block rational truth according to Plato. Rhetoric is psychological force of language vs. logical force of language. Psychology leads people to believe things based on emotions. Speech must appeal to the masses in a democracy. Psychology is persuasion, logic is truth. Deduction and induction is arguing logically. Plato says rhetoric is not a technç, (craft) nor is poetry, because they are undisciplined and not uniform in design. Thus, appeal to psychology and emotion can never be done away with in a democracy, thus Plato abhors them and democracy. Plato calls it sophistry this psychological appeal and democracy requires this to exist, so the problem persists. Plato is clear and consistent in his abhorrence of sophistry and democracy.

Aristotle's Rhetoric and Poetics are an alternative to Plato. Aristotle's rhetoric tries to strike a middle position. Aristotle says rhetoric and poetry are a technç, the Rhetoric is a handbook. Aristotle says speaker needs to appeal to appropriate information for the particular setting. Much like a lawyer's argument, not just relying on facts, need to appeal to people's emotions. Aristotle does understand that rhetoric can be used in a harmful way.

Aristotle lays out three features in rhetoric:

1. Ethos= character of the speaker, also charisma, speaker earns the audience's trust, use of body language.

2. Pathos= condition of the hearer.

3. Logos= essential bearing on political persuasion, truth.

Thus, Plato's concern by definition excludes speech because it deals with emotion. These three conditions must be in play for a speech to be successful. The rhetoric contains a detailed analysis of the different human emotions and how to elicit them in a speech. Aristotle knows the speaker must be a good student of human nature to tap into human emotions.

Epistçmç is scientific knowledge. Phronçsis is the capacity of the soul for using education, experience and habit all this is in the ethics. This is the same in political world so politics is not an episteme no scientific reasoning. The things that come up in politics are not deduced scientifically. In politics, humans use deliberation between several possible outcomes unlike math where there is only one correct answer. Political speech is contentious because the nature of politics is contentious.

There are two circumstances in rhetoric.

1. Judicial rhetoric has to do with the past like in a court case.

2. Deliberative rhetoric has to do with the future, what decision should we make in political policies.

I recommend Aristotle's works to anyone interested in obtaining a classical education, and those interested in philosophy. Aristotle is one of the most important philosophers and the standard that all others must be judged by.

5.0 out of 5 stars Logic, human character and emotions, June 3, 2011

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FRANCESCO FERZINI (Switzerland) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Rhetoric (Paperback)

"Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion" (pg. 4).

Logic, human character & emotions deep understanding are the key ingredients of Aristotle's receipt and, despite it was written quite some time ago, it will never be out-of-date for all of us who are involved into human interactions.