Reflective Blog Post #1

After reading Gorgias/ the Sophists, Plato, and Aristotle, Aristotle's approach to rhetoric aligns the most with how I am beginning to define rhetoric for myself. If I didn't have Aristotle as my first choice to answer this question, then I would pick the Sophists. I do not agree with the Sophist's notion that rhetoric's purpose is to manipulate others, but I do agree with their idea that humans cannot achieve transcendent/absolute knowledge. I agree with Plato's opinion on the Sophist's approach to rhetoric, that; "Plato viewed the Sophists as moral relativists who therefore had no reason not to be manipulative, deceitful, or downright corrupting in their use of discourse." (Bizzell, Herzberg, page 81). Although I do recognize the irony of me sharing this quote, as I have just previously written that I agree with the Sophist's idea that humans cannot achieve transcendent/divine knowledge, I stand by my statement. 

Out of these three theorist's approaches to rhetoric, I find Aristotle's approach to be the most comprehensive and easily accessible. Both the Sophist's and Plato's approaches to rhetoric did not go into nearly as much depth into the functions of rhetoric and how it can be employed as I would've liked. There is simply too little of the Sophist's work still in existence today that could offer me a full understanding of their approach to rhetoric. I see Plato's approach to rhetoric as focusing too much on disavowing the Sophist's approach to rhetoric and too little on Plato's own approach to rhetoric. 

Despite of what I have just written about Plato, I do think that it is important when studying rhetoric to first learn of Plato's approach to the subject and then learn of Aristotle's. I say this because both theorist's approaches are similar. Aristotle's approach to rhetoric seems to build off of and expand Plato's approach. The key difference between both theorist's approaches to rhetoric as I understand it to be is the following: "... but Plato emphasized its (absolute knowledge) transcendent origins, whereas Aristotle emphasized the empirical means by which it was obtained." (Bizzell, Herzberg, page 171). It is because of this key difference that I align myself with Aristotle's approach to rhetoric and not Plato's. Aristotle, like myself, takes a scientific approach to rhetoric, whereas Plato takes a more spiritual, religious approach to the same subject. 

Bizzell, Patrcia and Bruce Herzberg. The Rhetorical Tradition: Readings from Classical Times to the Present. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin's, 2001.