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[7]
Now, since proofs are effected by these means,
it is evident that, to be able to grasp them, a man must be capable of logical
reasoning, of studying characters and the virtues, and thirdly the
emotions—the nature and character of each, its origin, and the manner
in which it is produced. Thus it appears that Rhetoric is as it were an offshoot
of Dialectic and of the science of Ethics, which may be reasonably called
Politics.1 That is why Rhetoric assumes2 the character of Politics, and those who
claim to possess it, partly from ignorance, partly from boastfulness, and partly
from other human weaknesses, do the same. For, as we said at the outset,
Rhetoric is a sort of division or likeness of Dialectic, since neither of them
is a science that deals with the nature of any definite subject, but they are
merely faculties of furnishing arguments. We have now said nearly enough about
the faculties of these arts and their mutual relations.
1 Rhetoric, as dealing with human actions, characters, virtues, and emotions, is closely connected with Politics, which includes Ethics. The two latter treat of the same subject from a different point of view. Both deal with happiness and virtue, but the object of Politics is, by comparison of the different forms of States to find the one in which man will be most virtuous. Lastly, Rhetoric, as an important factor in the training and education of the individual citizen and of the members of the State as a whole, may be described as an offshoot of Politics, with which the sophistical rhetoricians identified it.
2 Or, “slips into the garb of” （Jebb）. Probably a stage metaphor.
Aristotle in 23 Volumes, Vol. 22, translated by J. H. Freese. Aristotle. Cambridge and London. Harvard University Press; William Heinemann Ltd. 1926.
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