Classical Rhetorical Argumentation for the Rhetorical Critic

Abstract

This book offers a reassessment of argumentation in classical rhetoric, foregrounding its rational dimension. Moving beyond introductions, it provides insights from Aristotle, Quintilian, and other ancient thinkers while addressing common misconceptions and offering clarifications that are particularly valuable for the rhetorical critic. Adopting a Scandinavian rhetorical perspective, this book argues that classical rhetoric offers enduring tools for both the analysis and the construction of persuasive argumentation. By bridging theory and practice, it demonstrates how classical rhetoric remains highly relevant, while also naturally integrating with analyses that focus on classical concepts such as ethos, pathos, or style – whether through neo‑Aristotelian methods or contemporary approaches rooted in the classical rhetorical tradition. Key concepts are explored in dedicated chapters: the ‘art’ of logos‑based argumentation is reassessed; enthymeme and epicheireme structures are examined; and topoi and staseis are discussed in relation to their later developments. A chapter on the centenary of rhetorical criticism traces its evolution from Herbert Wichelns (1925) to today, proposing a new template for the rhetorical critic. This concise yet comprehensive book will interest intermediate and advanced students, as well as scholars of rhetoric, argumentation, persuasion, speech and writing studies, and communication studies.