La retórica aristotélica y la oratoria de su tiempo (sobre el ejemplo de Lisias III)

Abstract

Aristotle's Rhetoric is a descriptive text to a greater extent than normally recognised and so our understanding of Aristotle can be improved with the analysis of speeches previous to him; as a case study, the third speech of Lysias has been chosen. The argumentation of judicial speeches previous to Aristotle was built with enthymemes whose first premises are based on emotions and characters explaining human behaviour; therefore the first purpose of Rhetoric 11.2-11 (about emotions) and 11.2-17 (about characters) was to supply the orators with first premises. In those speeches the emotions of the audience were stirred up by enthymemes; therefore Aristotle accepted that the orator could use emotions in this rational and logic way. Nevertheless he condemned the arousing of emotions by direct and irrational requests, a procedure found in the judicial speeches. This way the apparent contradictory treatment of emotions in Aristotle's Rhetoric can be solved.