The Open Palm and the Closed Fist: A Guide to Classical Rhetoric and the Latin Language (Ad Navseam Ep. 121)

Meta Description: Join Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle as they explore the Five Canons of Rhetoric. From Aristotle to Cicero, discover the secrets of persuasion, the power of the Latin language, and why the “open palm” of rhetoric is the counterpart to the “closed fist” of dialectic.

Introduction: Summer in the Bunker

Welcome back to the “vomitorium,” listeners! In Episode 121 of the Ad Navseam Podcast, hosts Dr. Jeff Winkle and Dr. David Noe are broadcasting from the bunker as summer threatens to arrive in Michigan. The birds are birding, the grass is growing, and the “living is easy” (or at least, the hosts are feeling pretty good).

While the insects are doing whatever insects do, the hosts are turning their attention to a topic that has defined Western education for two millennia: Classical Rhetoric.

If you are a student of the Latin language, a public speaker, or just someone who wants to win an argument at the framing store, this episode is a masterclass in the art of persuasion. We are digging into the science of speech-making, guided by the giants of antiquity: Aristotle, Cicero, and Quintilian.

Is Rhetoric Dead?

The episode begins with a vintage recording from Moses Hadas, a legendary classical scholar from the mid-20th century. Hadas notes that in the modern world, rhetoric has fallen on hard times. We often use the phrase “mere rhetoric” to denote something empty or artificial.

However, Hadas argues that discourse is a human product and therefore susceptible to the refinements of art. Just as we learn table manners, we must learn the art of speaking. Even Winston Churchill, whether he studied him consciously or not, spoke in periods that were unmistakably Ciceronian because Cicero served as Europe’s textbook for centuries.

As Dr. Noe points out, Cicero himself was “gloriously endowed by nature,” but he composed his speeches strictly according to theory. It wasn’t just talent; it was a formula.

The Fist and the Palm: Rhetoric vs. Dialectic

To understand rhetoric, we must start with Aristotle. In his Art of Rhetoric, Aristotle defines rhetoric as the “counterpart of dialectic”.

Dialectic: This is the formation of arguments and syllogisms (logic).
Rhetoric: This is the explanation of that logic to an audience.

Dr. Noe uses a famous metaphor from Zeno (cited by Cicero) to explain the difference:

Dialectic is the Closed Fist: It is like getting punched in the face with a syllogism. The logic is inescapable and overwhelming.
Rhetoric is the Open Palm: It attempts to win the audience over by “sweet persuasion” rather than brute force.

The best orator knows how to use both.

The Three Goals of Eloquence

According to Cicero, the purpose of any speech falls into three categories. If you are learning the Latin language, memorize these infinitives:

Docere (To Teach/Inform): Laying out the facts.
Delectare (To Delight/Entertain): Keeping the audience engaged.
Movere (To Move/Persuade): Motivating the audience to action.

Dr. Winkle notes that modern education often focuses heavily on Docere (authority) or Movere (activism), neglecting Delectare. Yet, as Lucretius said, you often have to put honey on the lip of the cup to get the medicine down. A good teacher, like a good orator, must be entertaining enough to make the audience marvel at the content.

The Three Genres of Speech

Before you write a speech, you must know what kind of speech it is. The ancients identified three genres:

Genus Demonstrativum (Epideictic): Speeches of Praise (Laudatio) or Blame (Vituperatio). The goal is to honor or shame.

Example: Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (Praise) or a comedian’s roast (Blame).

Genus Iudiciale (Judicial): Speeches of Guilt or Innocence. This is courtroom oratory, which makes up the vast majority of rhetoric in American culture today.
Genus Deliberativum (Deliberative): Speeches of Policy (Affirm or Negate). Should we invade Ontario? Should we support this law? This is political oratory.

The Five Canons of Rhetoric

Now we get to the “nitty-gritty”—the system for constructing a speech. These are the Five Canons, a checklist for any aspiring orator.

1. Inventio (Discovery)

This is finding your material. You don’t just start writing; you gather your “proofs.”

Logos: Reasoned arguments and enthymemes (informal syllogisms).
Pathos: Appeals to feeling. Aristotle considered this perhaps the strongest tool. If you can control the audience’s emotions, you win the argument.
Ethos: Appeals to character. This includes the auctoritas (authority) of the speaker. Are you more likely to buy a grill from George Foreman or a nobody?
Atechnoi Pisteis: Unadorned facts. Surprisingly, the ancients listed this last because they considered “just the facts” to be the least persuasive element.

2. Dispositio (Arrangement)

Once you have your material, how do you organize it?

Exordium: The introduction. You must include a Captatio Benevolentiae (Capture of Goodwill). Trip on your way to the podium, make a self-deprecating joke, or complain about the humidity. Get them to like you.
Narratio: The story. Explain what happened.
Confirmatio: The argument. Make your case.
Refutatio: Anticipate the objections. “My opponent will tell you that Canadian maple syrup is better, but here is why he is wrong”.
Digressus: A tangent. The audience is tired. Tell a joke, go off-topic, and secure their goodwill again (Altera Captatio) before the final push.
Peroratio: The conclusion. Summarize and make the sale.

3. Elocutio (Style)

How do you say it? There are three registers, likened to the flow of a river:

Tenuis (Thin/Lean): Simple, logical, direct. Like a slender stream winding around obstacles (e.g., Lysias, Seneca).
Temperatus (Moderate): A mix of casual diction and pointed remarks (e.g., Caesar, Isocrates).
Grandis (Grand/Swollen): Complex, flowery, filled with figures of speech. This is Cicero at his peak. It involves chiasmus, polarity, and parallelism.

4. Memoria (Memory)

You must memorize the speech. No note cards, no teleprompters. If you are tied to your notes, you break the connection with the audience.

5. Pronuntiatio (Delivery)

This involves the Voice (Vox) and the Body (Corpus).

Gesture: Posture and hand movements are crucial.
The Eyes: Dr. Noe reveals a surprising fact—the ancients believed the eyes were the most persuasive part of the body. Plutarch wrote that lightning came from Cicero’s eyes, swaying the Roman masses.

Christian Rhetoric: A New Formula?

The episode concludes with a nod to how Christianity adapted these classical rules. St. Paul, though aware of rhetoric, often deliberately eschewed it to focus on “Christ and Him crucified”.

Later, the Reformer Heinrich Bullinger redefined Cicero’s three goals. Instead of Docere, Delectare, Movere, he proposed that the Christian preacher should:

Docere (Teach)
Hortari (Exhort)
Consolari (Comfort).

Gustatory Parting Shot

No episode of Ad Navseam is complete without a culinary send-off. This week, Dr. Winkle quotes the inimitable Julia Child on the state of modern poultry:

“The American poultry industry had made it possible to grow a fine-looking fryer in record time and sell it at a reasonable price. But no one mentioned that the result usually tasted like the stuffing inside of a tin.”

Valete!