As Usual: The Surprise of Non-Greek Rhetoric

                Throughout our class so far we’ve been trying to define rhetoric, with it being something more than simple persuasion. We’ve gone through many definitions, with the simplest and most-encompassing one being the art of communication as a whole. In this chapter, however, Watts narrows it down to being specifically the art of persuasion. He then takes a common formula used in many cultures and simplifies it into three parts: story, list, and sanction.

                There are many, many times when this formula is used to persuade people in a culture, and with good reason. While the early Greeks didn’t agree with the use of either story or sanctions in rhetoric, other cultures did find them effective. Starting with a narrative is especially important. Narrative engages the audience, allowing them to really connect with and understand an argument. Once the readers are engaged, the narrative is followed by a list, adding evidence/reason to what the narrative has already introduced, and then adding a sanction to agree with, obey, or not interfere just adds assurances to what the reader should now believe. It makes sense that this formula is common throughout so many cultures- it’s a formula that works.

                Of course, since the Greeks are what’s most commonly discussed when talking about rhetoric, this theme is not as commonly known as it should be. It’s used in so many cultures, and has affected western rhetoric, and yet we don’t even realize it. We base so much of our rhetorical discourse on the Greek model, but in this case, the Greeks are the exception, and other cultures are the rule. Babylon, Egypt, Israel, Mesopotamia, and others all used this in various contexts- to persuade their own people as well as others, such as foreign armies and leaders. These texts were used to warn people off, to prevent the expropriation of land, to protect temples, to build up kings and threaten enemies with both earthly and divine promises of destruction upon attack. The story-list-sanction formula held wide influence in ancient societies, and is still having an effect after all this time. The bible uses it regularly,  politicians use it to persuade the public, and many don’t even realize that such a specific formula is even at play, because they haven’t been educated about any rhetoric except that of the Greeks.

As usual, anything that falls outside the Greek model of rhetoric is catching us by surprise.