Definition and Examples of Stasis in Classical Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Stasis in Classical Rhetoric In classical rhetoric, stasis is the process of, first, identifying the central issues in a dispute, and next finding arguments by which to address those issues effectively. Plural: staseis. Also called stasis theory or the stasis system. Stasis is a basic resource of invention. The Greek rhetorician Hermagoras of Temnos identified four major types (or divisions) of stasis: Latin coniectura, conjecturing about the fact at issue, whether or not something had been done at a particular time by a particular person: e.g., Did X actually kill Y?Definitiva, whether an admitted action falls under the legal definition of a crime: e.g., Was the admitted killing of Y by X murder or homicide?Generalis or qualitas, the issue of the quality of the action, including its motivation and possible justification: e.g., Was the murder of Y by X in some way justified by the circumstances?Translatio, objection to the legal process or transference of jurisdiction to a different tribunal: e.g., Can this court try X for a crime when X has been given immunity from prosecution or claims the crime was committed in another city? See Examples and Observations below. Also see: ArgumentationDissoi LogoiExigenceInventionJudicial RhetoricMetastasisTopoi EtymologyFrom the Greek, stance. placing, position Examples and Observations Although he recognized the need to define the question at issue in a trial, Aristotle did not develop a theory to cover the various possibilities, nor did he use the term stasis. . . . The word literally means stand, standing, stance, describes the stance of a boxer toward an opponent, and perhaps was transferred from that context to the stand taken by a speaker toward an opponent. Quintilian (3.6.23) saw the influence of Aristotles dialectical categories of substance, quantity, relation, and quality on concepts of stasis, which in Latin is called constitutio or status.(George A. Kennedy, A New History of Classical Rhetoric. Princeton University. Press, 1994)Hermagoras was the most important contributor to stasis theory before the 2nd century AD and made stasis theory a much more important part of the rhetorical curriculum. However, only fragments of the works of Hermagoras have been preserved. Modern knowledge of the evolution of stasis theory is derived primarily from Rhetorica ad Herennium and Ciceros De Inventione.(Arthur R. Emmett, Hermogenes of Tarsus: Rhetorical Bridge From the Ancient World to the Modern. Rediscovering Rhetoric,  ed. by Justin T. Gleeson and Ruth C. A. Higgins. Federation Press, 2008) The Stasis SystemIn Book One of De Inventione, Cicero discusses a system for thinking through a judicial case, called the stasis (struggle or stopping point) system. An aspiring rhetorician could learn the skill by analyzing a case by dividing the debate into the likely issues of conflict, or stopping points. . . .Students studying a stasis system learned to think through cases by following the points at which disagreements were likely to arise. These points of stasis, or struggle, . . . divided a complex case into its component parts or questions. Arguments relevant to questions of fact, definition, and quality were rehearsed and thus integrated into the students pattern of thinking.(James A. Herrick, The History and Theory of Rhetoric. Allyn Bacon, 2008)The Stasis Doctrine: Three QuestionsThe stasis doctrine, a procedure for determining relevant issues, was a staple concept for the Roman rhetoricians. According to the simplest interpretation of this doctrine, three questions are i nvolved in the crux of a given case: (1) Did anything happen? a conjectural question answered by physical evidence; (2) What name should be applied to what happened? a question answered by precise definitions; (3) What sort of an action was it? a qualitative inquiry allowing the orator to specify mitigating circumstances.Additional material could be adduced by employing the topics.(Donovan J. Ochs, Ciceros Rhetorical Theory. A Synoptic History of Classical Rhetoric, 3rd ed., by James J. Murphy and Richard A. Katula. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2003) The Stasis Doctrine Applied to Yogi BearTo return for a moment to Jellystone Park, conjectural stasis would have us ask whether Yogi Bear was responsible for the disappearance of the picnic basket, definitional stasis whether he grabbed it and snaffled the contents, qualitative stasis whether the bylaws of Jellystone Park prohibit the theft of picnic baskets, and translative status whether the alleged theft should be tried in a human court or whether this thieving wild animal should be summarily shot by a park ranger.(Sam Leith, Words Like Loaded Pistols: Rhetoric From Aristotle to Obama. Basic Books, 2012)Stasis theory has to this day exercised important influences on the development of Western law, even if the level of explicit attention to the doctrines of stasis in the rhetorical as well as the legal literature has fluctuated greatly.(Hanns Hohmann, Stasis, in Encyclopedia of Rhetoric, ed. Thomas O. Sloane. Oxford University Press, 2001) Pronunciation: STAY-sis Also Known As: stasis theory, issues, status, constitutio Alternate Spellings: staseis

Halloween Word Play You Should Be Frightened...

Halloween Word Play You Should Be Frightened... Halloween always makes me think of my Yale College days and the clever costumes my classmates would devise. My favorite was a couple who dressed as â€Å"Paradise Lost.† They each donned a boxy six-sided die and walked around holding a map. Yes, they were a â€Å"pair of dice, lost.† Over the weekend, at one of the workshops I take at Wright, I overheard a conversation between two women in the ladies room about their plans for the evening. One of them mentioned that she was going to a jack-o-lantern making party; the other lamented that she would probably not be able to attend a family event that night because of other commitments, but that she would try to carve out the time to go. â€Å"Looks like both of you will be carving something!† I observed. Wordplay is a big part of my life. I’m often the person to notice puns when they weren’t intended. Halloween is not required. In a conversation with one of my subcontracting resume writers, we were discussing my preference for keeping the word â€Å"I† out of resumes. Without realizing what he was saying, he blurted, â€Å"I’ll keep an eye out for that!† â€Å"No pun intended,† I responded. (Indeed, I was recommending that he keep an â€Å"I† out!) While any time is a great time for a good pun or wordplay in my book, Halloween provides the perfect opportunity to experiment with visual representation. For instance, what costume would you wear if you were dressing as a â€Å"Cereal Killer†? How about â€Å"Iron Maiden†? A â€Å"French Kiss†? A â€Å"Black-Eyed P†? â€Å"Blessing in Disguise†? Or perhaps you’d like to be a â€Å"Dust Bunny† or a â€Å"Chocolate Moose†? See the Deviled Egg to the right. The possibilities are endless and although some Halloween parties have already happened, perhaps I’ve given you sufficient lead time to devise a creative costume if you’ve been wanting to break out of the standard witch or ghost costume this year. I personally am dressing this year as â€Å"Facing Your Fears.† I will dress in black and most likely carry around a furry black and orange spider. I will carry a rearview mirror on which anyone willing to participate can write one of their fears in orange lipstick. They will then be able to face their fears in the rearview mirror. What will your costume be this Halloween? Do you have ideas of ways to dress for any of the suggestions above? What’s your favorite Halloween pun? Please share! Category:Life and LeadershipBy Brenda BernsteinOctober 28, 2013 3 Comments Kent V says: October 29, 2013 at 7:03 am Oh, those brainy top tier college kids. I remember a woman PhD candidate in chemistry at a Halloween party at my ivy league grad school who had a full sized beach ball tucked into the front of her slacks. She let it slip out occasionally to reveal a ball with a big + sign on it. She described herself as a parent ion- a large atomic fragment missing an electron that is common to some destructive analysis techniques. As a former chemistry major I more or less got it, but anyone else Ya really had to be there in her world. 🙠 I suspect the Essay Expert would agree that context is everything. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: October 29, 2013 at 8:03 am Love it! Indeed, context is everything. I will be wearing my facing your fears costume to a conceptual costume Halloween party where it will be appreciated, I hope. Log in to Reply Johanna says: October 29, 2013 at 8:59 am In college, a friend and I carried thin canes, wore sunglasses, sold pencils from a cup, and spoke Italian. We were Venetian Blinds. Log in to Reply