Rhetoric
The truth was defined differently by sophists during the classical era. Sophists were interested in the various ways human gain knowledge and how easily they could be influenced to learn the truth. Plato differed his concepts of truth to that of the sophists where he argued that the relationship between truth and audience was determined by the manner in which the famous made use of rhetoric. Rhetoric is used to connect the learners and philosopher where it offers some basis of truth that should be gained by the learner. True rhetoric allows philosophers and students to obtain definite truth and free themselves from unjustified beliefs. Socrates argued that the only true wisdom is by accepting that you know nothing so that one can be willing to learn truth based on facts. During the classical period, women were not educated as their mar counterparts. Failure to educate women led to the reservation of prominent positions and seats for men who were believed to be knowledgeable. Aspicia and Cicero reasoned that truth and beliefs could not be interchanged and thus, education was associated with easiness in writing and developing fluent speeches based on truth and ethics.
Comparing the classical era to the contemporary world, reasoning based on troth is evident in our lives. An example is when a student partake a discussion with the lecturer on a particular topic and the professors wants to establish how the student arrived to that response. The professor in this case asks questions with an aim to clearly understand the thoughts of the student when making such an argument, their motive and the behavior that facilitated such reasoning. Socrates developed interest on communication that transpired in court because they felt that it was not based on truth. Lack of truth of arguments in courts is also experienced in contemporary courts where judgment is not based on absolute truth.
Medieval Rhetoric
Medieval rhetoric is deeply discussed as compared to its predecessors. Philosophers during this period were Augustine and Boethius, and their main interest was on written words and oral work. Augustine argued that children did not require to be exposed to rules of grammar if they were to grow in an environment where adults had fluent communication. All the same, this assumption is criticized for combining the belief of literal acquisition and speech acquisition. Men who were perfect when making a speech may not be such perfect when teaching writing skills. Thus, Isocrates believed in acquiring rhetorical prowess through schooling which offers both speaking and writing techniques, unlike the preceding generations where the skills were gained through interactions. Schooling is possible in the contemporary world where reports depend on current generation and the facts in the knowledge of the teachers. The increased desire to study rhetoric in the medieval period came with the concern about its ability to bridge the gap between authenticity, deceit, and truth. During the middle ages, rhetoric changed from political to religious where it was used to save human souls but not a technique to lead the state. This is the period when education became the core of the society and students embraced the chance to learn rhetoric.
Comparing this to the contemporary world, this issue can be discussed when public figures try to come up with immediacy and authenticity. St. Augustine discovered ways in which pagan art of rhetoric could be used to spread the truth of religion, and it is the same art applied in the modern society when teaching Christianity the meaning of truth.
Renaissance Rhetoric
Renaissance period came with great influence and values and rhetoric in this period was more appealing to humanist. Students during the era were trained on the use of resources that are of an ancient language which were believed to offer a classical idea of nature if the world and its usage in the contemporary world. Books were written in different languages, and the texts in those books were a continuation of the knowledge gained during the medieval period. Rhetoric was not fixed to the cultural elites of the humanist but was associated with a broad cultural movement which had a significant impact on the educational system that was being used. English rhetoric came up during this period, and it was derived from the continental sources as well as based on the same sources. The education system expanded during this period, and it offered equal chances of education to men and women. Rhetoric was the basis of the new education arrangement as it taught orators different ways to speak and gain control of a large audience. Women can take leadership position due to the contemporary education system.
Rhetoric and its relationship to Ethics-Enlightenment
Ethics have been a major issue since memorial times a sit dictates how humans should behave while in an ethical state. Even when the court is employed to enforce ethics, people continue attacking other; thus, there is a need to devise ethics that should be followed by all members of a state. The denial of the freedom to speak public led to falling of rhetoric since the freedom to speak is an ethical decision that is motivated by the world we live in. Ethics are related to rhetoric in a way that one has to speak or act based on an ethical decision.
Conclusion
Ethics have been a great concern during this period as they determine the spread of knowledge as well as the incorporation of various facets of education. Comparing it to contemporary society, ethical considerations form part of daily life where it is incorporated in both writing and teaching practices. Any form of ethical violation can cause disharmony of people in a society.