1. The Communication Tradition
Week One: Chapter One

2. Chapter One Objectives:
• Identify the four periods of rhetorical study
• Describe the way in which scholars viewed
communication in the classical period
• Describe the five canons of rhetoric
• Explain the major characteristics of
communication study during the medieval period
and the Renaissance
• Outline rhetorical study during the modern
period
• Distinguish between humanistic and scientific
approaches to communication study

3. The Four Periods of Rhetorical Study
The Classical Period The Medieval Period
(500BC – 400CE) (400 – 1600)

4. The Four Periods of Rhetorical Study
The Modern Period The Contemporary
(1600 – 1900) Period (1900 – )

5. The Classical Period:
• This period arose with Greek democracy
• The main idea was that public communication
was an important tool for problem solving.
• This period saw the development of the first
Communication Model “The Five Canons of
Rhetoric”
• Famous Rhetorics included Plato, Socrates,
Aristotle, Cicero and Quintilian.

6. The Five Canons of Rhetoric:
1. Invention: what can be said about a certain
topic and finding arguments that the audience
can understand. The major speech occasions
were forensic, deliberative and ceremonial.
Modes of proof were ethos, pathos and logos.
2. Style: select and arrange the wording of
the message carefully. Language should be
clear lively and appropriate to the audience.

7. The Five Canons of Rhetoric:
3. Arrangement: arrange one‟s ideas for
maximum impact (e.g. Introduction, body and
conclusion). A speech must end with a
summary and conclusion. Order would depend
on the audience.
4. Memory: find a way to keep the message
firmly in mind. Also find ways to make speech
material memorable, such as novelty.
5. Delivery: present the speech in a natural
varied and appropriate way. Voice should
convey interest and emotion. Include gesture.

8. WORD MEANING
Forensic pertaining to, connected with, or used in courts of law or
public discussion and debate. Adapted or suited to
argumentation; rhetorical.
Deliberative having to do with policy; dealing with the wisdom and
expediency of a proposal: a deliberative speech.
Epideictic (Ceremonial) designed to display something, esp the skill of the
speaker in rhetoric
Ethos the fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the
underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs,
or practices of a group or society; dominant
assumptions of a people or period: In the Greek ethos
the individual was highly valued.
Pathos the quality or power in an actual life experience or in
literature, music, speech, or other forms of expression,
of evoking a feeling of pity or compassion.
Logos the rational principle that governs and develops the
universe.

9. The Medieval Period:
• This period arose with the rise of monolithic
Christianity. Rhetoric became second to
theology.
• The main idea was an emphasis on letters and
preaching, with the focus being prescriptive not
theoretical. The emphasis was also on
embellishing and amplifying rhetorical style.
• Famous Rhetorics included Augustine,
Cassiodorus, John of Salisbury and Erasmus.

10. WORD MEANING
Monolithic characterized by massiveness, total
uniformity, rigidity, invulnerability, .
Theology the field of study and analysis that treats of
God and of God's attributes and relations to
the universe; study of divine things or
religious truth; divinity.
Prescriptive that prescribes; giving directions or
injunctions:
Embellishing to enhance (a statement or narrative) with
fictitious additions.

11. The Modern Period:
• This period focused on public rhetoric and
developing public policy.
• There was more importance being placed on
writing as books and newspapers were
becoming more available.
• Modern rhetoric followed four paths.
• Famous Rhetorics included Francis Bacon,
Rene Descartes, John Locke, Fenelon, Lord
Kames, George Campbell, Joseph Priestly and
Thomas DeQuincey.

12. The Four Paths of the Modern
Period of Rhetoric:
1. The five canons of Classical rhetoric.
2. Psychological /epistemological rhetoric (This
investigated responses to persuasive
messages)
3. Belletristic rhetoric (This is where written and
spoken communication were viewed as forms
of art and aided the development of criticism)
4. Elocutionist rhetoric (This path focused on
elaborate rules for delivery)

13. WORD MEANING
Epistemological pertaining to epistemology, a branch of philosophy that
investigates the origin, nature, methods, and limits of
human knowledge.
Belletristic literature regarded as a fine art, especially as having a
purely aesthetic function.
Criticism any of various methods of studying texts or documents
for the purpose of dating or reconstructing them,
evaluating their authenticity, analyzing their content or
style, etc.: historical criticism; literary criticism.
Elocution the study and practice of oral delivery, including the
control of both voice and gesture.
Elaborate marked by intricate and often excessive detail;
complicated.

14. Contemporary Period:
• This period saw the study of communication divide
into two sides: Rhetoric and Communication Theory
• Rhetoricians used humanistic methods to analyse
public discussion.
• Communication Theorists used scientific methods to
analyse communication behaviors.
• This period also expanded communication study to
include interpersonal, group and public
communication.
• The rise in electronic media and rapid development
of technology has also signaled many extra changes
in communication therefore the study of
communication.

15. Humanistic vs. Scientific approaches
to communication study:
• Both approaches want to understand how
communicators affect each other as they interact.
• Humanistic approaches use the historical and critical
methods of the humanities in their studies of the
ways which symbolic activity shapes public response
to political and ethical issues.
• Scientific methods use controlled laboratory
experimentations, with careful, objective
measurement to reduce a phenomenon to its most
basic elements and variables. They would then test
these variables in other controlled conditions. Areas
of science such as psychology, anthropology and
sociology developed during this contemporary period.

16. WORD MEANING
Interpersonal of or pertaining to the relations between persons.
The humanities the humanities, a. the study of classical languages
and classical literature.
b. the Latin and Greek classics as a field of study.
c. literature, philosophy, art, etc., as distinguished
from the natural sciences.
d. the study of literature, philosophy, art, etc.
Objective not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations,
or prejudice; based on facts; unbiased: an objective
opinion.
Psychology the science of the mind or of mental states and
processes and the science of human and animal
behavior.
Anthropology the science that deals with the origins, physical and
cultural development, biological characteristics,
and social customs and beliefs of humankind.
Sociology the science or study of the origin, development,
organization, and functioning of human society; the
science of the fundamental laws of social relations,
institutions, etc.

17. Studying Communication:
• People who study communication (Rhetoricians and
Communication Scientists) can enter into professions
such as: speechwriters, political consultants,
politicians, legal consultants, lawyers, advertising
executives, public relations experts, counselors,
organizational training and development specialists,
professional negotiators, personnel managers,
specialists in information storage and retrieval, radio
or television performers, media consultants, and so
on!
• Communication study is something that could help
you in any future profession, and can even help in
your personal life.

18. HOMEWORK:
DAY TASK
Tuesday 1. Put the „5 Canons of Rhetoric‟ into your
own words
2. Find the meanings of forensic, deliberative
and ceremonial, ethos, pathos and logos.
Wednesday Chose one of the following important
Rhetoricians and find 10 important facts about
him: Aristotle, Plato, Cicero, Quintilian,
Francis Bacon, Rene Descartes, John Locke,
George Campbell. (Each person is to choose
a different Rhetorician)
Thursday Find the meanings of the Key words located
on the summary handout and add these to
your vocab list.
Friday Read ahead for Chapter 2 and start your first
reading log.