In Rhetoric, possibly the first work to be written on the subject,Aristotle defines rhetoric as the study of the means of persuasion. His validation of rhetoric as a legitimate skill was a significant divergence from Plata's belief that it is a practice of flattery and artifice, with little relationship to truth. Aristotle impresses the importance of the audience (or "judge") when presenting an argument, and describes the different forms of rhetoric, providing examples and advice for each. Likely derived from his lecture notes from the Academy and the Lyceum, this influential work remains the definitive analysis of rhetoric and its rolein Western intellectual theory.

 One of the seminal works of Western philosophy, Aristotle"s Rhetoric vastly influenced all subsequent thought on the subject--philosophical,political, and literary. Focusing on the use of language as both a vehicle and a tool to shape persuasive argument, Aristotle delineates with remarkable insight both practical and aesthetic elements and their proper combination in an effective presentation, oral or written. Healso emphasizes the role of language in achieving precision and clarity of thought.

 The ancients regarded rhetoric as the crowning intellectual discipline--the synthesis of logical principles and other knowledge attained from years of schooling. Modern readers will find considerable relevancein Aristotelian rhetoric and its focus on developing persuasive tools of argumentation. Aristotle"s examinations of how to compose andinterpret speeches offer significant insights into the language and style of contemporary communications, from advertisements to newsreports and other media.

Book 1

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Book 2

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Book 3

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Indesx