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Blog Post – Week 12

Quintilian makes this assertion that only good people are capable of becoming great rhetoricians. Bad people lacking of the truth while being obsessed and consumed in the task of being evil are brought to be poor rhetoricians; lacking the dedication necessary to the art of rhetoric.

Of Quintilian’s assertions though there was one point that stood out to me, (though I do not believe he touches it in the detail it deserves.) He makes point that a good person, possessing the truth will naturally obtain a more respectable and winning position in argument and rhetoric over that of a bad person, who does not possess the truth.

Regrettably though I must admit, this is always not the case, many times a bad person, not possessing the truth, can win in argument and rhetoric over that of a good person who is possessing of the truth. This is usually seen in the case of a highly skilled orator, such as Hitler, or can also be seen true in an argument where a good person may lack efficient and necessary skill in rhetoric.

But to some extent I will give support to Quintilian. In the case of two rhetoricians who are relatively equivalent in skill, the rhetorician possessing the truth will more quickly gain a high advantage over the one possessing falsehoods.

In coincide I feel the education of the audience plays a relative factor. The audience’s education may conflict with what is true, possibly giving the rhetorician possessing the falsehood the advantage, if the falsehood is perceived as the truth by the audience.

For example I will give a great Troy McClure Film, shown to the Springfield Elementary Second Grade Class to address the issue of vegetarianism: here.

To an audience who is even slightly educated about animal cruelty, this video would be horrifying. But to the ignorant second graders of Springfield, profoundly stupid and meat feasting; this film is gold!

Troy McClure, is obviously not a good rhetorician in the large perspective of his works. So if he was to take the alternative argument in favor of vegetarianism to the same audience, he would not have won a single mind out of the class (with the exception of maybe Ralph.)

P.S. I did kind of knock Troy McClure for being a poor rhetorician in the large perspective, but for short moments the man is a genius of persuasion. By this I mean his overall film is not convincing, but he’s got a silver tongue. When Troy refers to the cattle as being ready to “graduate Bovine University,” that would have been great if only it had not contrasted by the sound of slaughtered cattle.

P.S.S. Ralph’s Comment after this film, “When I grow up I want to go to Bovine University!”

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