Comparing and Contrasting the Ideas of Aristotle and Kenneth Burke on Rhetoric

Both Aristotle and Kenneth Burke are among the most influential thinkers on rhetoric and have made foundational contributions to our understanding of persuasion, communication, and human interaction. While Aristotle’s work focuses on the classical notion of rhetoric as a means of persuasion, Burke offers a modern approach that explores the symbolic nature of language and its connection to identity, society, and dramatistic analysis. This comparison will explore their views on the nature of rhetoric, persuasion, audience, and the role of language.

1. Nature of Rhetoric: Classical vs. Modern Perspectives

Aristotle: Rhetoric as a Means of Persuasion

Aristotle's work on rhetoric, especially in his seminal text Rhetoric, establishes rhetoric as the art of persuasion. For Aristotle, rhetoric is an essential tool for persuading others and was meant to be used in the public sphere—in legal, political, and civic life. His focus was on the rhetor's ability to craft arguments that would move an audience to accept a certain belief or take specific action.

• Rhetoric as a Systematic Art: Aristotle believed that rhetoric is a systematic discipline with clear rules and strategies. He identified three main forms of persuasion:

  • Ethos: Persuading through the character and credibility of the speaker.

  • Pathos: Persuading by appealing to the emotions of the audience.

  • Logos: Persuading through logical argumentation and reasoning.

For Aristotle, the focus of rhetoric was largely on effectiveness in persuading others and adapting messages to the audience’s emotions, reasoning, and sense of character.

Kenneth Burke: Rhetoric as a Means of Identification and Dramatism

Kenneth Burke, on the other hand, sees rhetoric not merely as a tool for persuasion but as a fundamental part of human interaction that involves symbolic action. For Burke, rhetoric is not only about convincing an audience, but also about creating a sense of identification between the speaker and the audience. In his work A Rhetoric of Motives, Burke argues that rhetoric is about creating a shared sense of common purpose and aligning the speaker’s goals with the audience’s values and beliefs.

• Identification Over Persuasion: Whereas Aristotle emphasizes persuasion as the core of rhetoric, Burke focuses on identification—the process by which people come together through shared symbols, values, and experiences. Rhetoric, for Burke, is about creating common ground, not just winning an argument. This distinction shows a more psychological and social view of rhetoric, where persuasion is secondary to the idea of communion and solidarity among people.

• Dramatism: Burke also introduced the concept of dramatism, where he compares human action to a play or drama. According to this perspective, all human communication can be seen as a performance where people act out their roles within a social context. Burke’s analysis of rhetoric places a heavy emphasis on the symbolic nature of language and human motives, framing communication as an ongoing social drama that reflects power, conflict, and identity.

2. Persuasion and the Audience: Analyzing Influence

Aristotle: Rhetoric as a Means of Achieving the "Good"

For Aristotle, the primary goal of rhetoric is to persuade audiences to act in a virtuous or ethical manner. He believes that rhetoric is a neutral tool that can be used for both good and bad purposes. Therefore, the responsibility lies with the speaker to use rhetoric for noble goals, like justice and truth. Aristotle’s rhetoric assumes an educated, reasoned audience that can follow logical arguments and will respond appropriately to pathos (emotional appeals) and ethos (the credibility of the speaker).

• Ethos, Pathos, Logos: Aristotle’s model revolves around the audience’s reaction to the speaker’s arguments. He identifies the importance of knowing the audience’s feelings and beliefs, adjusting the speech to appeal to the emotions, and using logical evidence to sway their reasoning. Ethos plays a key role in ensuring that the speaker is credible and trustworthy to effectively persuade the audience.

Kenneth Burke: Rhetoric as Identification and Unification of the Audience

Burke takes a different approach to audience. For him, rhetoric is about aligning the speaker’s identity with the audience’s, often through symbolic actions and shared language. In his view, persuasion is secondary to the act of identification—rhetoric's primary function is to create a sense of unity among the speaker and their audience. He argued that identification is necessary to persuade because shared values, experiences, and symbols are what ultimately allow speakers and audiences to connect.

• Identification as the Key: Rather than focusing on persuading an audience with reason alone, Burke emphasizes the power of shared symbols and common experiences. For example, political speeches often succeed because they speak to the shared values and emotions of the audience. Rhetoric creates a bond or "oneness" between the speaker and the audience, which makes persuasion more effective because it aligns the goals and motives of both parties.