Rhetoric (Aristotle)

Aristotle's Rhetoric (or "Ars Rhetorica", or "The Art of Rhetoric" or "Treatise on Rhetoric") places the discipline of public speaking in the context of all other intellectual pursuits at the time. Moreover, Aristotle is working to rehabilitate the reputation of rhetoric in light of Plato's attacks on the art as just a knack and not an art. Aristotle wishes to demonstrate that "[p]roofs alone are intrinsic to the art." ( or 1354a) Although we can "more easily achieve persuasion by speaking rhetorically" (1355a), the rhetoric's "function is not persuasion." (1355b)

The Definition of Rhetoric
In 1.2.1, Aristotle defines rhetoric as:

'the power to observe the persuasiveness of which any particular matter admits.'

Beauty for a Man
"...Beauty varies with the time of life. In a young man beauty is the possession of a body fit to endure exertion of running and of contests of strength; which means that he is pleasant to look at; and therefore all-round athletes are the most beautiful, being naturally adapted both for contests of strength and for speed also. For a man in his prime, beauty is fitness for the exertion of warfare, together with a pleasant but at the same time formidable appearance. For an old man, it is to be strong enough for such exertion as is necissary, and to be free from all those deformities of old age which cause pain to others"