Rhetoric, Book 1

Part 1

Rhetoric is a counterpart Not an exact copy, but making a kind of pair with it, and corresponding to it as the antistrophe to the strophe in a choral ode. of Dialectic; for both have to do with matters that are in a manner within the cognizance of all men and not confined Or “and they (Rhetoric and Dialectic) are not confined.” to any special science. Hence all men in a manner have a share of both; for all, up to a certain point, endeavor to criticize or uphold an argument, to defend themselves or to accuse.

Now, the majority of people do this either at random or with a familiarity arising from habit. But since both these ways are possible, it is clear that matters can be reduced to a system, for it is possible to examine the reason why some attain their end by familiarity and others by chance; and such an examination all would at once admit to be the function of an art. The special characteristic of an art is the discovery of a system or method, as distinguished from mere knack (ἐμπειρία).

Now, previous compilers of “Arts” Manuals or handbooks treating of the rules of any art or science. of Rhetoric have provided us with only a small portion of this art, for proofs are the only things in it that come within the province of art; everything else is merely an accessory. And yet they say nothing about enthymemes which are the body of proof, but chiefly devote their attention to matters outside the subject;

...