Ashton Martin

5/9/2017
History of Rhetoric
Reflection Essay
The Artistic Proofs

The artistic proofs of rhetoric are the three technical proofs that make rhetoric a techne

and are extensively argued by Aristotle in order to give the art of rhetoric substance. As defined

by Herrick, the three proofs are logos: the logic of sound arguments, pathos: the psychology of

emotion, and ethos: the sociology of good character. These three elements are modes of

persuasion that are needed for the spoken word and are crucial in a good argument. These proofs

are artistic because they are supplied by the speaker whereas inartistic proofs are elements of an

argument that are obtained elsewhere like documents and evidence. The artistic proofs are

important in the study of rhetoric because they are the fully defined reasons behind rhetoric as an

art and give students of rhetoric substantive material to study.

Aristotle sets out in his Rhetoric to define and legitimize rhetoric, and in doing so he

answered the question of what and how students of rhetoric study to make the most effective

argument. Logos is simply a Greek word meaning word. Aristotle, however, used it to mean that

the spoken word depended on proof and proof came from the words themselves. He was

concerned with the practical study of arguments in decision making and inferred that one who

studies rhetoric needed to be concerned with reasoning and logic. Secondly, pathos, meaning

suffering and experience, was necessary in an argument to appeal to emotion for power and

effectiveness. The speaker must put the audience in a good state of mind to affect judgment and

influence their actions. Lastly, ethos was a crucial area of study to give the speaker credibility.
Ethos means character in Greek, and Aristotle argued that personal credibility gave an argument

persuasive potential (Herrick 80). He breaks down character into three parts: intelligence,

virtue, and goodwill. These are qualities that Athenians saw in trustworthy individuals and are

what Aristotle posed as potentially being the most persuasive. The discovery of these rhetorical

proofs defined rhetoric at the time and gave students the capability to effectively persuade and

orate.

Aristotles definition of the artistic proofs came about many years after rhetoric was

established as a discipline by the Sophists in Athenian society. Gorgias had been in Athens sixty

years before Aristotle arrived and had been highly criticized by Aristotles teacher, Plato. He

battled Sophistic rhetoric and claimed that the Sophists only exploited their audiences. Aristotle

continued the argument against their rhetoric, but his main aim was to systematically and

pragmatically study rhetoric as a techne. He responded to Platos criticisms and filled many gaps

in treaties on rhetoric that had been produced by the Sophists. The three artistic proofs came

from such study and gave further legitimacy to the study of the art.
 Works Cited

Herrick, James A. History and Theory of Rhetoric: an introduction. S.l.:

ROUTLEDGE, 2017. Print.