ABSTRACT
It has been said that rhetoric is the handmaiden of democracy. Whether in the courtroom, the legislature, or the public forum, free and intelligent speaking and writing are the lubricants that keep democracy running smoothly. Instruction in the arts of discourse affords each one of us the opportunity to participate in the public debate and thus to feel a part of decisions that are made. In his Rhetoric, Aristotle notes four advantages to studying this practical art for citizens in a democracy: (1) to help us perceive the difference between truth and falsehood; (2) to help us understand how people are moved to action; (3) to help us see both sides of an issue; and (4) to help us defend ourselves against the arguments of others. To understand democracy, then, one must understand rhetoric; and to understand rhetoric, one must understand democracy. This chapter details those developments.
