DTC355 Blog #1 Rhetoric?

"An Introduction To Rhetoric" by Foss... is in my opinion chocked full on information for the person who has no Idea what 'Rhetoric' means and has all the background of an encyclopedia. Foss defines that rhetoric is a "feature [that is] symbolically used by humans" (viii). He has many explanations of the use of rhetoric from his introduction to throughout his first chapter, but they all seem to lead the reader back to the creation of time, and the teaching of speaking and leadership skills to anyone that will listen. In Chapter 1 he goes on to describe how today's everyday experience of what we as humans have been experiencing since the acknowledgment of human intelligence. and "the frameworks and labels we choose to apply to what we encounter influence our perceptions of what we experience and thus the kinds of worlds in which we live"; that in itself is rhetoric; empty and embodied in substance of meaning (2).

Foss's explanations of how others come to the conclusion whether rhetoric teaching is good for the soul seems important, and then is down trotted on by the religious is to me not very important. Seems like "filler" for the topic of what rhetoric is compared to how it was taught in the past. I get it. The symbolic feature of reading, writing and arithmetic all have symbols in it... We use them in everything that we do and having to speak about it also makes sense since we go to stores and shop with the list of items that we need. Adding up to a total amount at the end of our shopping spree, as we end up speaking to the cashier over what was purchased, all the while she is ringing up the items and bagging them. All symbolic of having to cook and eat a meal at the end of the day; its rhetoric, right? Just seems like a lot double talk just to get a simple point across.

The rhetoric used in my daily life is a regular and casual happenstance. For instance, I walk into my home and say "honey I'm home!", the meaning of that is a rhetoric announcement, since my voice is recognized as soon as I say something, but logic dictates that I announce my presence which is part of the delivery of the message that I am putting out there for others to discover through grammar, voice recognition, and the wording, (which also has the three "r"'s as in reading, writing, and arithmetic).


Google definitions of Rhetoric:
http://en.wikipedia.org Rhetoric is the art of using language to communicate effectively. It involves three audience appeals: logos, pathos, and ethos, as well as the five canons of rhetoric: invention or discovery, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. Along with grammar and logic or dialectic, rhetoric is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. (1.The definition of rhetoric is a controversial subject within the field and has given rise to philological battles over its meaning in Ancient Greece. See, for instance, Johnstone, Henry W. Jr. (1995). "On Schiappa versus Poulakos." Rhetoric Review. 14:2. (Spring), 438-440.)

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu Noun (n) rhetoric (using language effectively to please or persuade), (n) grandiosity, magniloquence, ornateness, grandiloquence, rhetoric (high-flown style; excessive use of verbal ornamentation) "the grandiosity of his prose"; "an excessive ornateness of language", (n) palaver, hot air, empty words, empty talk, rhetoric (loud and confused and empty talk) "mere rhetoric", (n) rhetoric (study of the technique and rules for using language effectively (especially in public speaking.))

Work Cited

Foss, Sonja K. and Karen A., Robert Trapp. Contemporary Perspectives on Rhetoric. p. 1-15.
Google Inc. 25 August 2010.
Wikipedia Org. 25 August 2010.
Wordnetweb, Princeton Education. 25 August 2010