Rhetoric and logic: what’s the link?

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Rhetoric and logic are closely related, with logic being an important part of rhetoric. The purpose of studying logic is to break down arguments to their bare bones, while rhetoric appeals to emotion and authority. Politicians use both rhetoric and logic to make compelling arguments. However, in formal logic, rhetoric is often seen as contradictory because it aims to convince people through methods other than reasoning alone. Rhetoric and logic can be thought of as natural enemies, as rhetoric often appeals to emotions while logic focuses on the structure of arguments.

The connection between rhetoric and logic is that logic, or logos, is an important part of the art of rhetoric. In addition to this strong connection between the two, part of the purpose of studying logic is to deconstruct rhetoric and break down an argument down to its bare bones. Rhetoric introduces appeals to emotion, known as pathos, and aims to convince people that an argument is correct due to the speaker’s perceived authority, known as ethos. While logic is part of the art of rhetoric, as are pathos and logos, its purpose is specifically to discredit arguments formed on rhetoric alone.

Ancient Greek philosophers introduced the study of rhetoric to the world, and it is essentially the study of argumentation. As part of argumentation, rhetoric students learn logic, which focuses on the structure and validity of arguments. This study goes hand in hand with learning how to appeal to the emotions of the audience and create a credible and authoritative personal image. Rhetoric and logic are fundamentally related in this way, and rhetoric students will make logic and logic an essential element of their studies.

Combining the other major arts of rhetoric with logic can help people form a compelling argument. Politicians, for example, will use rhetorical techniques, such as anaphora and metaphor, along with a logical argument to prove their opponents’ policies are foolish. This blend of logical argument and appeal to emotion is often very effective in getting an audience across a point. Politicians also embrace the ethos by constantly trying to present themselves as charismatic and trustworthy. However, the relationship between rhetoric and logic is not always so harmonious.

In the formal study of logic, rhetoric gets a lot of attention. This is because the link between rhetoric and logic in the traditional study of rhetoric is somewhat contradictory. Rhetoric especially aims to convince people of an argument through methods other than reasoning alone. Logic is specifically designed to break down an argument into its bland, logical inferences and inferences. By doing so, the logician removes the irrelevant and misleading aspects of the rhetoric and can focus on the structure of the argument itself.

Rhetoric and logic, although related by the ancient Greek philosophers under the heading of “rhetoric”, are in some ways enemies. For example, if someone were to argue that “when people are taken to prison, it leaves their family broken and in turmoil, so prison is bad,” they are going to appeal to the emotions of the public to convince them that prison is bad. . A logician’s job is to point out that the effects on the defendant’s family may not be relevant to the discussion of whether prison is good or bad. In this way, rhetoric and logic can be thought of as natural enemies.




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