Aristotle RHETORIC Complete

Translated by W. Roberts.

Aristotle Bilingual Anthology  Studies  Aristotle in Print

128 pages - You are on Page 104

Here we have a Maxim; add the reason or explanation, and the whole thing is an Enthymeme; thus-

"It makes them idle; and therewith they earn

"Ill-will and jealousy throughout the city. "

Again,

"There is no man in all things prosperous, "

and

"There is no man among us all is free, "

are maxims; but the latter, taken with what follows it, is an Enthymeme-

"For all are slaves of money or of chance. "

From this definition of a maxim it follows that there are four kinds of maxims. In the first Place, the maxim may or may not have a supplement. Proof is needed where the statement is paradoxical or disputable; no supplement is wanted where the statement contains nothing paradoxical, either because the view expressed is already a known truth, e.g.

"Chiefest of blessings is health for a man, as it seemeth to me, "

this being the general opinion: or because, as soon as the view is stated, it is clear at a glance, e.g.

"No love is true save that which loves for ever. "

Of the Maxims that do have a supplement attached, some are part of an Enthymeme, e.g.

"Never should any man whose wits are sound, &c. "

Previous Page / First / Next

Aristotle Home Page ||| Search Aristotle's works

Plato ||| Other Greek Philosophers ||| Elpenor's Free Greek Lessons

Development of Greek Philosophy ||| History of Greek Philosophy ||| History of Ancient Greece

Reference address : https://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-greece/aristotle/rhetoric.asp?pg=104