Outline Aristotle's definition of rhetoric as it relates to dialectic, Research Paper

Outline Aristotle's definition of rhetoric as it relates to dialectic, and identify the role rhetoric plays in our present-day political process - Research Paper Example There is no denying the fact that dialectic tends to be the art that pertains to logical argumentation. To some extent even at a superficial analysis, it does seem to be true that dialectic does come out as a counterpart to rhetoric in the sense that just like rhetoric, dialectic has a lot to do with the concept of persuasion and facilitating logical arguments and proofs, and does tends to take into consideration the opposing and contradicting arguments and viewpoints pertaining to any specific issue. Yet, dialectic also tends to differ from rhetoric in many salient ways. Quiet unlike rhetoric, dialectic is primarily restricted to the notions of argumentation and the proofs and logical fallacies attendant to a given argument, and does abstain from extending a theoretical framework to the use of emotion and is seldom concerned with the audiences imminent on an argument and the carried contexts in which an argument tends to unwind. In the light of this fact it seems apparently strange that Aristotle tends to place rhetoric as being a counterpart to dialectic, when one certainly cannot doubt the fact that Aristotle was conversant with the crux of the art of dialectics that primarily happens to be to test the veracity and truth attending an argument. Thereby, by considering rhetoric to be a counterpart of dialectic Aristotle not only enjoins on the art of rhetoric with the imperative to owe allegiance to truth, but also imbues the art and science of rhetoric with salient moral and ethical implications (Gross & Walzer, 2000, p. 149). While aligning rhetoric with dialectic, Aristotle not only imbues the art of rhetoric with ethical and moral implications, but also tends to present rhetoric as a tool that is neutral, which could readily be used by individuals and groups given to moral depravity to achieve spurious ends, if rhetoric is alienated from the imperative of being truthful and