The Art of Persuasion

Cicero’s Rhetorica ad Herennium may have been more thought provoking when it was first introduced but since writers after him have simplified his many types of Rhetoric, reading it seems confusing. People have a need for simplicity making us look for the easy way out; yet, we still need to look at the work of people from the past that has helped to make our life and understanding easier by their ideals. There are entire classes based on Cicero’s philosophy dealing with Speech, Delivery, Style, and Figure of Thought. The basic art of Persuasion is what Cicero has given to the world. What we have learned is how to effectively change someone’s thinking to reflect our own based solely on the words we use and when we use them.