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On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse (Paperback)

~ (Author), George A. Kennedy (Translator) "The Rhetoric shows signs of being addressed to different audiences, probably reflecting differing context in which Aristotle lectured on rhetoric at different times in his..." (more)
Key Phrases: reasoned habit, deliberative speaker, judicial speeches, Fallacious Topic, Nicomachean Ethics, Encomium of Helen (more...)

4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Excellent introduction to text and individual chapters, together with helful footnotes."--Veri Spann, Carnegie Mellon University

"One of Kennedy's greatest intellectual strengths...has been his sensitivity to and understanding of Aristotle and the Peripatetic contribution to rhetorical theory and practice....And who could be more qualified to enter upon the task [of translating] than Kennedy, who combines the philological skills of a textual editor with the vast experience of this subject gained in a scholarly career that has been devoted to the study of classical rhetoric....The book is thus an important one and in many ways transcends the limits of the genre into which it superficially fits."--Ancient Philosophy

"Prof. Kennedy brings his vast knowledge of classical rhetoric and languages to give the most useful edition now available for the founder of rhetorical theory. We owe him our gratitude."--Robert Coogan, University of Maryland

"Wonderful! Kennedy makes a fairly difficult work accessible."--Stuart Greene, University of Wisconsin

"Excellent translation and commentary."--Eugene R. August, University of Dayton

"Superb translation! Bound to become a standard."--John T. Kirby, Purdue University

"Excellent--a very useful text."--David Roochnik, Iowa State University

"An excellent translation and a wonderful volume. It is great to teach with!"--William Keith, University of Louisville

"Accurate and readable....The supplementary essays and the glossary are particularly helpful."--Robert O. Sider, Dickinson College

"Excellent, relevant introduction. Makes an understandable connection between rhetoric and democratic process (or the lack thereof)."--Helena Worthen, College of Alameda

Product Description

The first new translation of Aristotle's Rhetoric in fifty years, based on careful study of the Greek text and informed by the best modern scholarship, this is the most faithful English version ever published of the book that first defined and organized the study of civic discourse along philosophical lines and still shapes the study of rhetoric and composition in modern times. Comprehensive introductory discussions, a detailed outline, extensive notes, and a glossary of Aristotle's rhetorical terms make the work readily accessible to modern students, while an appendix offers translations of relevant ancient texts and essays on the composition and history of the treatise, with an evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses. This book is essential for students and scholars of rhetoric, classics, politics, and philosophy.

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Product Details

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (January 16, 1991)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0195064879
ISBN-13: 978-0195064872
Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #609,558 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
The Rhetoric shows signs of being addressed to different audiences, probably reflecting differing context in which Aristotle lectured on rhetoric at different times in his career. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
reasoned habit, deliberative speaker, judicial speeches, judicial oratory, deliberative rhetoric, epideictic speeches, stasis theory, judicial rhetoric, deliberative oratory, being indignant

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Fallacious Topic, Nicomachean Ethics, Encomium of Helen, Plato's Phaedrus, Ajax of Theodectes, Eudemian Ethics, Simonides of Ceos

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Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 47 books:

The Nicomachean Ethics (Oxford World's Classics) by Aristotle on 19 pages
Prior Analytics by Aristotle on 4 pages
The Art of Rhetoric (Penguin Classics) by Aristotle in Front Matter, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
On Interpretation by Aristotle on page 40, and page 218
Eudemian Ethics: Books I, II, and VIII (Clarendon Aristotle Series) (Bks.1, 2 & 8) by Aristotle on page 60, and page 91

See all 47 books this book cites

88 books cite this book:

Essays on Aristotle's Rhetoric (Philosophical Traditions) by Amélie Oksenberg Rorty on 5 pages
Connecting With the Congregation: Rhetoric and the Art of Preaching by Lucy Lind Hogan on 4 pages
Talking Democracy: Historical Perspectives on Rhetoric and Democracy by Benedetto Fontana on 4 pages
The Viability Of The Rhetorical Tradition by Richard Graff on page 44, page 139, and Back Matter
Slipping the Surly Bonds: Reagan's Challenger Address (Library of Presidential Rhetoric) by Mary E. Stuckey in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)

See all 88 books citing this book

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student by Edward P. J. Corbett

Discusses:

Rhetoric in the European Tradition by Thomas M. Conley

Discusses:

An Introduction to the New Testament by David A. deSilva

Discusses:

Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition by Theresa Enos

Discusses:

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Customer Reviews

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50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most scholarly & readable translation of the "Rhetorica", February 10, 2001

By	Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

Aristotle's treatise "On Rhetoric" has been the seminal work in the field since it was written. There is a very real sense in which there is nothing new under the sun since Aristotle's day, and that the rhetorical constructs of Burke, Toulmin and every other rhetorical theorist are simply Aristotle's concepts dressed up in new terms. Certainly no one has been as comprehensive in cataloguing all the available means of persuasion. The study of rhetoric begins in earnest with Aristotle's volume. While there are numerous translations of "On Rhetoric" available, this remarkable translation by George A. Kennedy is the one worth owning. Kennedy has studied classical rhetorical for over three decades and he brings his knowledge of what rhetoric meant in the time of Aristotle to his translation. By the time you get to the first sentence of this translation--"Rhetoric is an antisrophos to dialectic"--you have ample evidence that Kennedy is the ideal translator for this text. You will have gone through a Prooemion, an Introductory essay, a synopsis of the first three chapters of Book 1 before you get to that first sentence, which contains two footnotes detailing the contemporary meanings of "rhetoric" and "antistrophos." More than any other scholar to tackle this project, Kennedy is as well versed in the subject matter as he is the original language. Kennedy's translation also benefits from the fact that it is eminently readable.

Additionally, this volume includes only a glossary and bibliography, but two excellent appendixes. The first consists of Supplementary Texts: (A) Gorgias' "Encomium on Helen," the showcase speech by the leader of the Sophists; (B) Aristotle on "Art as an Intellectual Virtue" from his "Nicomachean Ethics"; (C) "An Introduction to Dialectic" from Aristotle's "Topics"; (D) Cicero's "Description of Aristotle's Synagoge Tekhnon"; (E) Aristotle on "Word Choice and Metaphor" from his "Poetics"; and (F) Kennedy's note on "The Concept of the Enthymeme as Understood in the Modern Period." The second appendix features three Supplementary Essays: (A) "The Composition of the 'Rhetoric'"; (B) "The History of the Text After Aristotle"; and (C) "The Strengths and Limitations of the 'Rhetoric.'" The supplemental works alone would make this the translation to own. Every teacher or student of rhetorical theory/criticism needs to own Kennedy's translation of Aristotle's "On Rhetoric."

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16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars relevant even today!, January 31, 2001

By	Paul Spooner "ronspooner" (Camarillo, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Aristotle is amazing in his insight into the human nature. "Aristotle on rhetoric" focuses on what people like, how to talk to them, and how to act around them. However, be forewarned that the reading is not light, many hours can be spent on each chapter. If you are interested in finding out that people are the same today as they were in ancient Greece, read this book!

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	laura157 (OK, USA) - See all my reviews

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.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Capacity of Persuasion
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. Read more

Published 18 months ago by Michael A Neulander

5.0 out of 5 stars Spare me the Anti-P.C.! Kennedy's translation is great!
I can't understand quite what it is about Kennedy's book that has so outraged the last reviewer("Spare me the PC!!",Dec. 26,'01). Read more

Published on April 23, 2004

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