Persuasive Communication and Roman Rhetoric
Unit 1: Defining Persuasive Communication
Persuasive Communication Defined: The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the exploitation of figures of speech and other compositional techniques. (arte de bien decir, to give written or spoken language enough effectiveness to delight, persuade, or move).
- To reach a definition, some authors distinguish between communication of facts or realities and communication of contentious issues.
- It is the traditional Aristotelian distinction between doxa (arguable issue) and episteme (certain matter or evidence).
- The differentiation is justified in that certainties are self-sufficient to convince the listener and thus spare efforts for persuasive communication; its obviousness and truth are objective. Therefore, rhetoric comes into play if the matter is debatable.
- However, truths and certainties are not communicated by infused knowledge, and therefore, for a more efficient transmission, good selection, order, and expression of ideas are required.
- Among the variety of studies on rhetoric, Thomas Albaladejo offers a comprehensive definition of the discipline of persuasive communication.
Unit 2: Roman Rhetoric
1. Cicero and Rhetoric
The first Latin author to study rhetoric is Cicero. However, before his work, there is a more ancient writing, Rhetorica ad Herennium, that talks about the elaboration of the speech and rhetorical figures.
- Cicero takes up the controversy between philosophy and rhetoric, defending, as quoted by Spang, “a prudent reconciliation of the two.”
- He considers that the Perfectus Orator must have broad legal, administrative, and philosophical knowledge that enables him to do a good and fair performance.
- In Orator, he expressed his ideal of the perfect speaker after separating the “speaker of eloquence from the philosophers, sophists, historians, and poets.”
2. Cicero’s Styles of Eloquence
As indicated in the quote, Cicero distinguishes 3 styles concerning eloquence and the perfect speaker:
- Simple: The simple speaker will not be bold in the creation of words and will be frugal in archaisms and somewhat modest. When using this type, one has to draw on two kinds of wit: jokes and mordacity. When using a sense of ridicule, the speaker has to take into account not to fail to decorum, not to be obscene, nor aggressive.
- Calm: This style is richer than the previous one, offering little nerve and much more grace. All the figures of speech and many thoughts enter. It is a showy and flowery style, colorful and worked in which all the perfections of words are linked.
- Sublime: This is the majestic, dignified, adorned style in which, without any doubt, the greatest power lies. With the speaker’s style, the listener is admired by his speech, the abundance of diction, and the mode of presentation.
According to Cicero, there are also 2 other resources that, well-managed by the speaker, will build admirable eloquence:
- One, the ethical, alludes to human nature, the personality, and the whole way of living of the speaker.
- The other, the pathetic, is the one that moves the audience and excites its passions.
The first one is kind, nice, and it has the intention of winning the benevolence of the audience; however, the latter is impulsive, and therefore, this is where rhetoric reigns.
Also, a good speaker seeks to achieve other virtues that enrich his style: suitability, entertainment, speed, etc. Voice, rhythm, gesture, and movement come into play.
Another Roman author that is a must concerning Rhetoric Studies is Quintilian, who writes the culmination of the evolution of classical rhetoric. His most important book was Institutio Oratoria (about orator’s formation). This book is composed of 12 books whose goal is also to achieve the orator perfectus, but unlike the Ciceronian proposal, for Quintilian, the perfect speaker isn’t supposed to only dominate the art but also must be a morally good man.