Week of October 20, Tuesday Post

In the Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students Chapter eight addresses Aristotle’s ideology of extrinsic proof that is ultimately defined as empirical evidence such as testimony, facts, and data. In reading this chapter I found it harder to believe in the proof we try to pass off as extrinsic proof in today’s rhetorical era. To elaborate, I believe Cicero is mentioned by stating that extrinsic proofs “rely chiefly on the authority granted by the community to those who make them.” Today, this does not seem to be the case, well in a sense. The way in which we manage to grant authority to other scholars is by simply accepting their work as extrinsic proof. In a collegiate setting we are taught to grant authority to those that possess a degree in a field of study. The research these ‘granted’ professors conduct or any research students investigate is never challenged. When writing a research paper for a class I usually look up a couple of sources, quote a few lines off of them, cite the author, and continue to turn in my work. By doing so, today, I grant authority to the author regardless if her or his work is truthfully extrinsic proof.

            Furthermore, I also want to address the portion where the reliability of extrinsic proof is questioned in this chapter. In regards to extrinsic proof I believe the ancient rhetoric has evolved from reliable individuals to reliable written documents. As a result, the manner in which we interpret written documents can ultimately affect the so-called extrinsic proof we believe to understand. The problem arises with the relationship the reader has with the author. If we are unfamiliar with the author, which is usually the case, then we do not fully comprehend their writing the way they intended it to be. The imitatios we recently did in class are a prime example. Many of us believed to have imitated a speech by an ancient rhetor, but how successfully did we accomplish that? I personally had to look up someone else’s interpretation of my selected speech because I was unaware if I was deciphering the content similarly.

            Overall I believe extrinsic proofs today are more like intrinsic proofs; because the rhetor is the individual who usually creates the empirical evidence.