Rhetoric and the City

The western rhetorical theory can be traced back all the way to the times of Artistotle. It can most commonly and easily be explained as the art of discovering all the available means of persuasion and the art of discourse. Urbanity is the quality or state of being urbane which means but in the context of urban cities, it refers to a region that is well developed. Urban, or well- developed areas are filled with many roads, commercial buildings, railways and houses. It is difficult to make the connection between then ambient context and the materiality of the city to the “standard” theoretical practice. I’m not sure that it can exactly help define it but it can be used as an example to explain some aspects of the rhetorical theory.

With cities like Rome that entail so much rich history, it is difficult to grasp the full meaning and understanding behind it all. You can travel to Italy, visit the city and admire all the beautiful statues and structures but without a single understanding of Rome’s history, it might be difficult why the architecture is so significant. This applies to any city anywhere in the world. The experience of traveling and sight-seeing is more meaningful and fulfilling when we understand the reasoning behind a beautiful sculpture or a breathtaking building. If it has no meaning whatsoever then it loses some of its virtue and the reason why it is so important to a particular group.