The Art of Rhetoric Buchzusammenfassung - das Wichtigste aus The Art of Rhetoric

Einleitung anhören

00:00

Zusammenfassung von The Art of Rhetoric

Name: The Art of Rhetoric
Rating: 4.6 (407 reviews)
Author: Aristotle

Aristotle

Uncover Persuasion and the Principles Behind Oratorical Skill

4.6 (407 Bewertungen)

20 Min.

Themen

Persuasion Western Philosophy Presentations & Public Speaking Storytelling

Inhaltsübersicht

The Art of Rhetoric
in 6 Kernaussagen verstehen

Audio & Text in der Blinkist App

Kernaussage 1 von 6

What’s in it for me? Sharpen your persuasion skills and ace that next speech.

These days, rhetoric has a poor reputation. Most often, it’s used to deride the evasive way that politicians speak. Frankly, though, its reputation wasn’t that much better in Ancient Greece, where rhetoric was often treated as synonymous with emotional manipulation.

Luckily, the philosopher Aristotle helped rehabilitate rhetoric and turn it into a legitimate art form by arguing that the most persuasive speech is generally based on truth and virtue rather than emotion and manipulation.

While these blinks are oriented toward giving a speech, the advice they contain is relevant for all forms of persuasion. So whether you have a speech coming up or you just want to improve your speaking generally, these blinks will help you speak more confidently and effectively.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

how to write and deliver a speech;
how to make people respect you more; and
how to wield the wrath of your audience against an adversary.

Rhetoric is the art of exploiting the persuasive aspects of a situation.

Aristotle’s The Art of Rhetoric was written in the city of Athens in what’s now known as the classical era of ancient Greece. During this period, Athens was a democratically-run city-state, so every Athenian citizen was expected not only to attend public assemblies and vote but also represent themselves in legal matters.

Public speaking was so interwoven into Athenian culture that the study of how to speak well became a matter of great public interest. This era produced a profusion of books and teachers claiming they could teach the art of speaking to the layman. Among these was Aristotle.

He acknowledged that every speech requires its own unique rhetorical style – after all, you wouldn’t give the same kind of speech to rally the troops for battle as you would to argue that taxes should be lowered. Yet all forms of rhetoric basically have the same objective: persuading your audience.

The key message here is: Rhetoric is the art of exploiting the persuasive aspects of a situation.

According to Aristotle, no matter what kind of speech you’re giving, there are really only three basic methods of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos.

Ethos is about making your audience perceive you as a more authoritative speaker. Pathos has to do with arousing emotions in your audience in order to influence their judgment. And, finally, logos is about demonstrating your point of view through the use of reason and argument. For Aristotle, logos is the most persuasive of the three.

Yet writers on rhetoric prior to Aristotle tended to focus on pathos – argumentation that aroused the emotions. Their manuals were filled with things like advice on how to convince a jury to pity you so that they’ll commute your sentence. To these authors, rhetoric was little more than the art of using words to manipulate people.

Aristotle rehabilitated rhetoric’s poor reputation by placing truth and virtue at its core. Truth and virtue, he argued, are inherently persuasive. And this makes sense; if you want people to think you’re a trustworthy source of information, you do actually need to pay attention to the facts.

Ultimately, for Aristotle, rhetoric is more than just the art of manipulation. It’s the art of exploiting the facts of a situation to your advantage.

You’ll seem more credible if you adjust your character to your audience.

Imagine you’re about to lead an army into battle. Which of your advisors would you be more likely to take advice from – a seasoned veteran, or someone who’s never seen a battlefield before? A loyal ally or someone who you suspect is vying for your position?

The answers to these questions are obvious. Why? Because the way you perceive a speaker affects how likely you are to be persuaded by them; specifically, you’re more likely to believe someone who you perceive to be experienced and trustworthy.

You can influence people’s judgment by arousing emotions in them.

The next method of persuasion is Pathos, which is the Greek word for passion or emotion. It was well known in ancient Greece that the way an audience feels affects their judgment. This can be seen most plainly in courts of law. If a jury is enraged at a defendant’s crime, you can be sure the gavel won’t come down in her favor.

On the other hand, if the jury can be made to feel pity for her, she may just get off the hook. So if a defendant is a savvy enough rhetorician, she might be able to win a more favorable verdict by steering the emotions of the jury in her favor. This is true regardless of whether she’s actually innocent or not, which is why Aristotle lamented how frequently speakers resort to this tactic. He contended that the reason pathos is so effective is that audiences simply aren’t entirely rational. That’s why it’s necessary for speakers to be aware of the effects of emotions and know how to use them to their advantage.

You can guide people’s thinking by using logical arguments.

The third method of persuasion that rhetoricians have at their disposal is Aristotle’s preferred method: Logos, or reasoned argument.

This form of persuasion involves presenting the plain facts and then using sound reasoning to argue for a particular verdict or course of action. So long as your audience is at least somewhat reasonable, this should be the most effective form of persuasion. After all, who could deny a logically irrefutable conclusion?

When performing a speech, your main aim is to speak clearly and naturally.

In addition to the three forms of persuasion – ethos, pathos, and logos – two additional elements also have a bearing on the persuasiveness of a speech. These are style and delivery.

If Aristotle had his way, only the facts would matter. But, alas, audiences often pay more attention to the beauty of a speech than to its content. The same speech coming out the mouth of a bland and nervous speaker is going to have far less impact than it would coming out of the mouth of a flamboyant and confident one.

Every speech should conform to a logical four-part structure.

When it comes to structuring a good speech, Aristotle considered only two things truly essential: stating your case and proving it. However, for longer speeches, a short introduction and conclusion can also be useful as these can help listeners orient themselves. In all, your speech should contain at most four sections: introduction, statement, proof, and conclusion.

The key message here is: Every speech should conform to a logical four-part structure.

Du möchtest die gesamte Zusammenfassung von The Art of Rhetoric sehen?

Kernaussagen in The Art of Rhetoric

Mehr Wissen in weniger Zeit

Sachbücher auf den Punkt gebracht

Kernaussagen aus Sachbüchern in ca. 15 Minuten pro Titel lesen & anhören mit den „Blinks”

Zeitsparende Empfehlungen

Titel, die dein Leben bereichern, passend zu deinen Interessen und Zielen

Podcasts in Kurzform ^Neu

Kernaussagen wichtiger Podcasts im Kurzformat mit den neuen „Shortcasts”

Worum geht es in The Art of Rhetoric?

The Art of Rhetoric (4th century BCE) is a practical manual on the art of public speaking and persuasion. Written almost 2,500 years ago, The Art of Rhetoric remains one of the most incisive and comprehensive studies on rhetoric ever written.

Wer The Art of Rhetoric lesen sollte

Amateur orators who need to prepare for an upcoming speech
Businesspeople who frequently speak in meetings
Anyone who has an interest in the classics of western thought

Über den Autor

Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher who wrote extensively on a sweeping range of topics, including physics, biology, logic, ethics, linguistics, and politics. He’s widely acknowledged to be one of the first genuine scientists in history, and his writings contributed to the development of whole new areas of study. Having trained under the Greek philosopher Plato at his Academy in Athens, Aristotle went on to become Alexander the Great’s tutor, and then later founded his own school in Athens called the Lyceum.

Kategorien mit The Art of Rhetoric

Communication Skills Philosophy

Ähnlich wie The Art of Rhetoric

Politics

Aristotle

A foundational work in the history of Western political philosophy

How Ancient Wisdom Can Change Your Life

21 min

4.5

Positive Intelligence

Shirzad Chamine

Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential and how You Can Achieve Yours

Ignite Your Power, Your Purpose, and Your Why

15 min

4.3

Thank You for Arguing

Jay Heinrichs

What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion

The Journey from Isolation to Openness and Freedom

15 min

4.5

Words Like Loaded Pistols

Sam Leith

Rhetoric from Aristotle to Obama

14 min

4.3

Happy Mind, Happy Life

Rangan Chatterjee

The New Science of Mental Well-Being

Powerful Habits to Own Your Thoughts, Understand Your Feelings, and Change Your Life

Build Your Personal Highlight Reel and Unlock Your Potential

A Critique of Political Economy

How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard

25 min

4.6

Never Split the Difference (New Version)

Chris Voss and Tahl Raz

Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It

19 min

4.5

How to Talk to Anyone

Leil Lowndes

92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships

25 min

4.2

10 Days to Faster Reading

The Princeton Language Institute and Abby Marks Beale

Zip Through Books, Magazines, and Newspapers – Understand and Remember Everything You Read

14 min

4.4

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Daniel Kahneman

Intuition or deliberation? Where you can (and can't) trust your brain

A Brief History of Humankind

The Surprising Path to Purpose, Connection, and Fulfillment

How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant

8 min

4.2

The Great Mental Models

Shane Parrish and Rhiannon Beaubien

General Thinking Concepts

26 min

4.5

The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication

John C. Maxwell

Apply Them and Make the Most of Your Message

Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less

Aphorisms and Anecdotes from the Paragon of Chinese Sages

How to Boost Your Sex IQ and Own Your Pleasure

20 min

3.8

How to Think Like a Philosopher

Peter Cave

Scholars, Dreamers and Sages Who Can Teach Us How to Live

18 min

4.3

The Sleep Prescription

Aric Prather

Seven Days to Unlocking Your Best Rest

The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking

A Philosophical Tale About the Failures of Government Coercion

The Jaw-dropping Tragedy That Shocked Ancient Greece

14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer

From Effectiveness to Greatness

A CEO's Journey from Founder to Leader

16 min

3.8

On the Origin of Species

Charles Darwin

By Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life

Prose Poetry Fables on the Beauty of Life and the Human Condition

16 min

4.5

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Bill Bryson

A journey into the most intriguing and intractable questions that science seeks to answer

Little Things That Can Change Your Life… And Maybe The World

11 min

4.1

The Psychology of Money

Morgan Housel

Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness

22 min

4.4

Verbal Judo

George J. Thompson and Jerry B. Jenkins

The Gentle Art of Persuasion

19 min

4.3

The Everyday Hero Manifesto

Robin Sharma

Activate Your Positivity, Maximize Your Productivity, Serve The World

19 min

4.2

The Imperfectionists

Robert McLean and Charles Conn

Strategic Mindsets for Uncertain Times

Unlock the Secrets of Existence and Transform Your Perspective

14 min

3.6

I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was

Barbara Sher with Barbara Smith

How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It

15 min

4.4

The Art of Influencing Anyone

Niall Cassidy

The classic must-read for anyone who wants to learn how to sound more convincing and persuasive

17 min

4.1

The 33 Strategies of War

Robert Greene

A Comprehensive Guide to the Subtle Social Game of Everyday Life

Burn Fat, Heal Inflammation, and Eat Like the High-Performing Human You Were Meant to Be

Why You Can't Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again

25 min

4.5

The Story of Philosophy

Will Durant

The Lives and Opinions of the World's Greatest Philosophers

The Secret to Love That Lasts

20 min

4.5

The Logic of Scientific Discovery

Karl Popper

On the Epistemology of Modern Science

19 min

4.7

❤️ für Blinkist️️️

Ines S.

Ich bin begeistert. Ich liebe Bücher aber durch zwei kleine Kinder komme ich einfach nicht zum Lesen. Und ja, viele Bücher haben viel bla bla und die Quintessenz ist eigentlich ein Bruchteil.

Genau dafür ist Blinkist total genial! Es wird auf das Wesentliche reduziert, die Blinks sind gut verständlich, gut zusammengefasst und auch hörbar! Das ist super. 80 Euro für ein ganzes Jahr klingt viel, aber dafür unbegrenzt Zugriff auf 3000 Bücher. Und dieses Wissen und die Zeitersparnis ist unbezahlbar.

Ekaterina S.

Extrem empfehlenswert. Statt sinnlos im Facebook zu scrollen höre ich jetzt täglich zwischen 3-4 "Bücher". Bei manchen wird schnelle klar, dass der Kauf unnötig ist, da schon das wichtigste zusammen gefasst wurde..bei anderen macht es Lust doch das Buch selbständig zu lesen. Wirklich toll

Nils S.

Einer der besten, bequemsten und sinnvollsten Apps die auf ein Handy gehören. Jeden morgen 15-20 Minuten für die eigene Weiterbildung/Entwicklung oder Wissen.

Julia P.

Viele tolle Bücher, auf deren Kernaussagen reduziert- präzise und ansprechend zusammengefasst. Endlich habe ich das Gefühl, Zeit für Bücher zu finden, für die ich sonst keine Zeit habe.