Florida Atlantic University The Art of Persuasion Essay

A short essay (250-350 words, usually a little less than one page typed, single-spaced), in which you explain what the phrase, “the art of persuasion” meant to the classical Greeks. Since the time of the classical Greeks, one of the most common definitions for rhetoric is that it concerns “the art of persuasion.” For the Greeks, a techn? (the word usually translated as “art”) included three things: “some theoretical understanding, some practical skill at carrying it out, and some experience with particulars to guide its application” (Sachs 30n1). Sophists claimed that they taught the “art” of words, or the “art” of rhetoric. Plato, on the other hand, dismissed what they taught as an “experience,” a part of “pandering.” ccording to this definition, do you think that there is an “art” to persuasion? Why or why not?

wo good place to start are with the explanation that Sachs provides in a footnote (30) and with what Kennedy says about the relationship between an art, a skill and a knack (62-63). You may also find it helpful to look at what the other ancient writers, such as the historical Gorgias and Isocrates said, as well as Plato’s arguments in the dialogue Gorgias. You will most likely find it helpful to quote briefly from the course readings to support your claims, but most of the essay should be your original ideas.