From the way Crowley describes the retoric of the ancients I gather that it was far different then the way it is viewed now. One way this is shown is the way arguement was viewed. Crowley says "In ancient times, people used rehetoric to make decisions, resolve disputes, and to meditate public discussion for important issues" (1). Throughout the peice is shown that the ancient's use of rhetorics ment more to people than it does now. To them rhetoric was used to solve, not only philosophical issues, but issues that affected the people as a whole. Also, the people of that time were trained in rhetoric. This enabled usefull discussion rather than allowing the arguement to be reduced to something that was not benificial.
Crowley uses a true example involving Sheryl Crow and Laurie David who arged over global warming with Karl Rove. In this interaction several things come into play. One of them shows the cultural differences between the ancients and Americans today. I liked this example because it portrayed the fact that many people today do not wish to discuss/argue about "sensitive" topics. Rove was described as responding in anger and he described David and Crow and insulting.
One thing that Crowley points to as a reason for the evoloution or rhetoric is a belief that became perevalant in the seventeenth century. This belief is based on the importance of opinion and the "...modern association ofacts with science, and opinion with everything else..." (19).
All in all, rhetoric today is quite different from the rhetoric used by the ancients. Rhetoric used by the ancients was more socially interactive rather than entertaining. It was helpful to the community as a whole. Rhetoric today is used for entertainment purposed, and when its not it is responded to in more violent ways resulting in unproductive shouting matches. Nor is rhetoric as useful in todays society. People's views of politicians immeaditly cause the viewing public to look on what is being said with mistrust.
Posted by victoria on December 8, 2008
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