Rereading Aristotle's Rhetoric

Book excerpt: In this collection edited by Alan G. Gross and Arthur E. Walzer, scholars in communication, rhetoric and composition, and philosophy seek to "reread" Aristotle's Rhetoric from a purely rhetorical perspective. So important do these contributors find the Rhetoric, in fact, that a core tenet in this book is that "all subsequent rhetorical theory is but a series of responses to issues raised by the central work". Gross and Walzer do not seek to renew the ancient quarrel between philosophy and rhetoric; rather, they call for a healthy division of labor, demanding that "purely rhetorical issues are genuine and must be explored". For that purpose all three books of the Rhetoric are essential. The essayists reflect on questions basic to rhetoric as a humanistic discipline. Some explore the ways in which the Rhetoric explicates the nature of the art of rhetoric, noting that on this issue, the tensions within the Rhetoric often provide a direct passageway into our own conflicts. Specifically, Carolyn R. Miller's exploration of topical invention within the Aristotelian tradition addresses the question: What does it mean to say that rhetoric is generative or epistemic as distinguished from instrumental or managerial? Alan G. Gross, examining the meaning of Techne, asks whether we should think of rhetoric as the basis for an art of civic deliberation. Arthur E. Walzer and Barbara Warnick discuss what it means to say that rhetoric is contextualized, culturally situated art in contrast with arts such as logic and dialectic that have more universal claims. Jeffrey Walker reflects on the contradictions between Aristotle's account of the passions in the Rhetoric and accounts found elsewhere inAristotle's work. Similarly, Thomas B. Farrell seeks to understand what "validity" might mean in a rhetorical context. Jeanne Fahnestock examines the influences of the Rhetoric's treatment of style on subsequent understandings of rhetoric. Robert N. Gaines warns of irresponsible appropriations of Aristotle, while Eugene Garver demonstrates that even responsible appropriation is problematic. Lawrence D. Green puts the issue of appropriation into historical perspective by demonstrating how it was contested even in the interpretive practices of the Renaissance. Finally, the editors' comprehensive bibliographic essay describes resources that would be of particular help to the Greekless reader and classifies and summarizes nearly one hundred books and articles written on the Rhetoric.