Rhetoric

The word rhetoric means roughly "skillful use of language", but it has gathered a variety of unsavory connotations. Because skillful use of language can be used in argument to persuade others of things that aren't well-supported by reason, the term came to be used for such empty or deceptive language, or for contentious arguments where clever words are more prominent than actual facts. However, the term is used in a deeper and more constructive sense in the study of human communication.

(Definitions, dicussion of conflicting opinions, ending with synthesis: a working general definition of rhetoric for this article)

• Classical (Greek)
  • Corax? (5th century B.C.) -- first written manual of rhetoric
  • Gorgias? (483?-376?) -- famous teacher of rhetoric throughout Greece
  • Socrates (470?-399) -- the questioner, Plato's teacher
  • Isocrates? (436-338) -- Foremost teacher of speech in the ancient world
  • Plato (427-347) -- outline the differences between true and false rhetoric
  • Aristotle (384-322) -- most influencial systemization of rhetoric ever written
• Classical (Roman)
  • Cicero (106-43) -- Great Roman orator and philsopher
  • Quintilian? (A.D. 35-100) -- Imperial profesor of rhetoric, complete system of rhetorical education
• Medieval
  • Augustine of Hippo (354-430) -- Christian, promoted use of rhetoric in preaching
• Renaissance
  • [Desiderius Erasmus]? (1466?-1536) -- Dutch scholar, wrote on style and composition
  • [Thomas Wilson]? (1525?-1581) -- neoclassicist, first system of rhetoric in English
• Modern
  • (there's quite a few here; I need to do a little sifting first)
• Contemporary
  • (insert some contemporary rhetorical and communication theories and theorists here)

Current State of Rhetorical Study

See also; Further reading