What is Rhetoric, What is the History of Rhetoric and What do I, as a Science Professor, Hope to Do with this Information?

Rhetoric to me means persuasion.  I’ve seen it defined more in terms of argumentation, but I think that can sometimes have a negative or confrontational connotation.  In trying to persuade, a ‘rhetor’ may use a variety of discourses including written, oral and visual.  In analyzing these discourses, ‘rhetoricians’ try to understand the effect of modes of delivery on different audiences. 

Ede and Lunsford (1984) specifically address the role of audience on written discourse.  In their essay “Audience Addressed/Audience Invoked The Role of Audience in Composition Theory and Pedagogy”, they discuss and provide an interesting visual (p. 89) to describe the concept of audience and the writer’s relation to specific audiences.  In describing the difference between the addressed and invoked audience, the authors state that “Those who envision audience as addressed emphasize the concrete reality of the writer’s audience; they also share the assumption that knowledge of this audience’s attitudes, beliefs, and expectations is not only possible, but essential” (p. 78).  Comparatively,   “Those who envision audience as invoked stress that the audience of a written discourse is a construction of the writer, a created fiction” (p. 82).   To understand the distinction, it is necessary to examine oral discourse as compared to written discourse.

In a traditional sense, speakers engaging with a direct audience have the ability to analyze an audience and adapt the discourse accordingly.  They address the audience.  Conversely, “The central task of the writer is not to analyze an audience and adapt discourse to meet its needs.  Rather, the writer uses the semantic and syntactic resources of language to provide cues for the reader-cues which help to define the role or roles the writer wishes the reader to adopt in responding to the text” (p. 83).  They invoke the audience.

While I found these descriptions of audience useful, I couldn’t help but think of digital delivery, something that would not have been widely used when the essay was written.  Presenters of oral discourse, who intentionally prepare their work for the Internet or other forms of digital delivery, belong more with the audience definition provided for writers above, or the invoked audience.  Even though the digital delivery is intended for a certain audience, no direct interaction takes place and thus the author has to rely on the audience definition that they have created.  Simply put by Emig “With writing, the audience is usually absent; with talking, the listener is usually present” (p. 9).  However, in video (and audio) production, the listener is usually absent.

Rhetorical theory and definitions may change then, as technology changes.  Historically speaking, rhetorical studies have been traced back to Ancient Greece when Greek philosophers tried to persuade their audiences with grand orations, written text and detailed visuals.  Rhetorical theory evolved across the centuries as different civilizations developed new modes of persuasion and this evolution continues to take place as not only the modes of delivery change, but also the way historical messages can be reconstructed.

Rhetoric has been and continues to be a part of our daily lives.  In a way, it’s hard to define because it’s just ‘something that is there’.  We know we use it, but perhaps we take it’s power for granted.  In an analogous way, we do the same thing with science.  Specifically chemistry and physics which include concepts we can’t see, but we know are there.  I hope to be able to continue to build on the parallels that exist between the teaching of writing and the teaching of science and ultimately implement a trans-disciplinary approach that has appeal to students and educators in different fields.  

Page references taken from Cross-Talk in Comp Theory a Reader, Victor Villanueva and Kristin L. Arola, editors, 3^rd ed.