Ancient rhetoric and poetic : $b Interpreted from representative worksBaldwin, Charles Sears
History
Ancient rhetoric and poetic : $b Interpreted from representative works
Baldwin, Charles Sears
Classical literature -- History and criticism -- Theory, etc.; Poetics -- History -- To 1500; Rhetoric, Ancient
In this way Aristotle proceeds to analyze, in Chapters ii-xi, the common
emotions: anger, love, fear, shame, benevolence, pity, envy, emulation,
and their opposites. The relation of these to the formation of character
leads to six chapters on character in youth, in age, in the prime of
life, and on the typical dominant traits of character seen respectively
in persons of social rank, of wealth, of power, and of good fortune.[25]
The classification here will be more satisfying as psychology if we
remember that it analyzes the common types of character and emotion in a
crowd. Aristotle is attempting neither an analysis of mental operations
nor a science of human nature, but such a practical classification as may
inculcate the habit of adaptation to the feelings of an audience.
The psychological analysis of the audience concluded with Chapter xvii,
Aristotle returns to rhetoric in our ordinary sense at Chapter xviii
with a recapitulation.[26] “The use of persuasive discourse,” he says,
resuming the language of the opening of this book, “is for judgment,” or
decision; i.e., persuasion connotes an audience to be persuaded. After
showing that this is true in all cases, and summarizing briefly the
main aspects of Books I and II, he concludes his transition by saying:
“it remains for us to go on with the common topics.”[27] With these he
actually goes on, not merely extending the treatment of them in Book
I (see page 14), but considering them now as to their availability,
their effect upon hearers. More explicit statement, however, of this
distinction might well have made the bearing of these latter chapters
clearer. The topic of possibility[28] implies the range of the argument
from antecedent probability (_a priori_). Example[29] includes analogy,
both from history[30] and from fiction, with specific mention of fables.
In this wide sense, including mere illustration, it means little more
than vividness of presentation through the concrete and specific; but
that its persuasive value far exceeds its logical cogency no one doubts
who knows audiences. This is the angle, too, from which Aristotle
discusses maxims.[31] “They have great service for speeches because
audiences are commonplace. People are pleased when a speaker hits on
a wide general statement of opinions that they hold in some partial
or fragmentary form.”[32] The same point of view controls the further
discussion of enthymemes,[33] which includes a hint of something like
Mill’s Canon of Concomitant Variations,[34] directions for logical
exclusion, for analysis demanding particulars, for dilemma, and for
_reductio ad absurdum_. Remarking the popularity of the refutative, or
destructive enthymeme over the constructive, and touching the fallacies
of _petitio principii_ and _post hoc_, the book concludes[35] with
methods of refutation (λύσις).
BOOK III
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