Bachelor degree in Communication Rhetoric at Boston College

Aristotle wrote [The function of rhetoric is] "to see the available means of persuasion in each case." In other words, rhetorical studies attempts to locate the options available for influencing individual persons or groups of people in a variety of different situations.

In Aristotle's time the preferred strategy was a well-crafted speech. Today,in a heavily mediated-environment, the options available to the rhetorician include speeches, multimedia presentations, public service announcements, television programs, advertising campaigns, songs, films, web pages and more.

WHY STUDY RHETORIC?

Since rhetoric focuses on the means of persuasion, critics like Plato have argued that rhetoric does not aim at the greater good, and in some circumstances,Plato complains that rhetorical appeals can be highly unethical. Plato goes so far as to compare rhetoric to a "knack" like cookery, a false art that does not care about the greater good of the audience. Even today, the term "rhetoric" is sometimes used in a pejorative sense to refer to hollow, pompous, or bombastic language.

Contemporary rhetorical studies responds to the intellectual challenge implicit in Plato's critique. Instead of indicting rhetoric and chastising rhetoricians, rhetorical studies teaches students to examine persuasive events from a critical perspective, providing an analytical framework that leads to a greater appreciation and understanding of the impact of the persuasive event. By examining the potential power of communication, rhetorical studies empower students to be effective communicators and thoughtful critics.