Rhetoric is traditionally defined as the art of persuasion. Unless you're a king or a tyrant, you have to use language to get people to do what you want. Naturally, some people are better at that than others. You can improve your own ability to write or speak more persuasively by studying rhetoric.
This lecture gives a brief overview of the history of rhetoric, starting in ancient Greece.
Many of the great classic works of rhetoric are available for free online or your favorite e-reader. I recommend Aristotle's Rhetoric, Plato's Gorgias and Phaedrus dialogues, and Quintilian's Institutes of Oratory.
15 сен 2013
