The Greeks and Romans developed precise vocabulary for the art of persuasion. These terms aren't academic jargon—they're precision tools that let you see and do things you couldn't before. This glossary collects all the key terms from The Debate Guide in one reference.
CORE CONCEPTS
The art of persuasion through language. Aristotle defined it as "the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion." Not manipulation—observation. The rhetor sees what others miss. See: Introduction, Chapter 1
The appeal to character and credibility. Ethos is the trust an audience places in a speaker based on their perceived expertise, virtue, and goodwill. It's not what you claim about yourself—it's what the audience believes about you. See: Chapters 3, 5, 6
The appeal to emotion. Pathos involves putting the audience in the right emotional state to receive your argument. When used ethically, it surfaces emotions appropriate to the situation rather than manufacturing false feeling. See: Chapters 3, 7, 8
The appeal to logic and reason. Logos refers to the argument itself—the claims, evidence, and reasoning that make a case. The word also means "word" or "reason" in Greek, reflecting the deep connection between language and thought. See: Chapters 3, 9, 10
The opportune moment for speech or action. Kairos is the art of timing—knowing when to speak, when to stay silent, and when the audience is ready to hear what you have to say. The right argument at the wrong time is the wrong argument. See: Chapter 4
ARGUMENT STRUCTURE
A rhetorical syllogism with an unstated premise. The enthymeme works because the audience supplies the missing piece, making them participants in the argument rather than passive receivers. "She's from Texas, so she knows about oil" leaves unstated: "Texans know about oil." See: Chapter 9
The point of clash in a dispute—where the parties actually disagree. Stasis theory identifies four types of questions: fact (did it happen?), definition (what is it?), quality (is it justified?), and procedure (what should we do?). Finding the stasis prevents arguing past each other. See: Chapter 11
A "place" or "topic" where arguments can be found. The topoi are categories of argument that can be applied across different subjects—comparison, cause and effect, definition, testimony, and more. They're starting points for invention, not formulas. See: Chapter 11
Anticipating and addressing counterarguments before your opponent makes them. Prolepsis strengthens your case by showing you've considered objections and demonstrates fairness by acknowledging the other side. See: Chapter 12
THE SOCRATIC TRADITION
The Socratic method of refutation—testing beliefs through systematic questioning until contradictions emerge. Not an attack on the person, but a collaborative search for truth. The elenchus exposes what we think we know but don't. See: Introduction, Chapter 14
The state of puzzlement or impasse that results from Socratic questioning. Aporia is the uncomfortable realization that your beliefs don't hold together. The Greeks considered it the beginning of wisdom, not a failure. See: Introduction, Chapter 14, Chapter 20
EMOTIONS AND CHARACTER
Anger—the emotion Aristotle analyzes most extensively. He defines it as a desire for revenge accompanied by pain, arising from an apparent slight to oneself or one's friends. Note the precision: apparent slight. Anger responds to perception, not necessarily reality. See: Chapter 8
Calmness or gentleness—the opposite of anger. Not indifference, but the settled state of someone whose honor is not under attack. Skilled speakers learn to induce praotēs as precisely as they learn to evoke orgē. See: Chapter 8
Shame—the pain caused by evils that seem likely to bring dishonor. Unlike guilt, which focuses on the wrong action itself, shame focuses on how others perceive you. Shame is inherently social. See: Chapter 8
Pity or compassion—the pain felt at another's undeserved misfortune. Aristotle emphasizes that pity requires identification: we pity those whose suffering we can imagine befalling ourselves or those we love. See: Chapter 8
Emulation—the constructive cousin of envy. Both emotions arise from seeing others possess good things, but emulation motivates us to obtain those goods ourselves rather than to deprive others of them. See: Chapter 8
Goodwill—the sense that a speaker has the audience's interests at heart. One of the three components of ethos (along with practical wisdom and virtue). Audiences trust those who seem to be on their side. See: Chapters 5, 6
Practical wisdom—the ability to discern the right course of action in particular circumstances. Not abstract knowledge but situational judgment. One of the three components of ethos. See: Chapters 5, 16
Virtue or excellence—moral character that makes someone trustworthy. In rhetoric, arete refers to the speaker's perceived moral quality. We trust speakers we believe to be good people. See: Chapter 5
CIVIC AND PHILOSOPHICAL TERMS
The central public space in ancient Greek city-states, where citizens gathered to debate, trade, and govern. More than a marketplace—it was democracy's living room. See: Introduction
The Greek city-state—not just a political unit but a community of citizens bound by shared participation in public life. Rhetoric developed because the polis required citizens to persuade each other. See: Chapter 2
Equal right to speak in the assembly—one of the foundational principles of Athenian democracy. Every citizen could address the assembly, regardless of wealth or birth. See: Chapter 19
Frank speech or fearless truth-telling. The courage to speak one's mind openly, even when it's risky. Parrhesia was valued in democratic Athens as essential to genuine deliberation. See: Chapter 19
Flourishing or well-being—the ultimate goal of human life according to Greek philosophy. Not mere happiness but living well and doing well. The philosopher's victory aims at eudaimonia, not just winning arguments. See: Chapter 20
EDUCATIONAL TERMS
The Greek concept of education and culture—the process of shaping citizens through learning. Rhetoric was central to paideia because citizens needed to speak, argue, and persuade. See: Chapters 1, 2
The three foundational liberal arts: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. Medieval universities inherited this structure from classical education. Mastering the trivium meant mastering language, reasoning, and persuasion. See: Chapter 17
The formal academic debate practiced in medieval universities. Students would defend theses against structured objections, developing skills in argument construction and refutation. See: Chapter 17
A traveling teacher of rhetoric in ancient Greece. The Sophists taught practical skills of persuasion for payment, often controversially. Plato criticized them for teaching students to "make the weaker argument appear the stronger." See: Chapter 2