The Rhetorical Situation

found himself in an ethical situation, we understand that he probably either contemplated or made some choice or action from a sense of duty or obligation or with a view to Good. In other words, there are circumstances of this or that kind of structure which are recognized as ethical, dangerous, or embarrassing. characteristics, then, are implied when one refers to the rhetorical context in which speakers or writers create rhetorical discourse? Perhaps this question is puzzling because is not a standard term in vocabulary of rhetorical theory. Audience is standard; so also are speaker, subject, occasion, and speech. If I were to ask, What is a rhetorical audience? or What is a rhetorical subject? reader would catch meaning of my question. When I ask, is a rhetorical situation?, I want to know nature of those contexts in which speakers or writers create rhetorical discourse: How should they be described? are their characteristics? Why and how do they resuit in creation of rhetoric? By analogy, a theorist of science might well ask, are characteristics of situations which inspire scientific thought? A philosopher might ask, is nature of situation in which a philosopher does philosophy? And a theorist of poetry might ask, How shall we describe context in which poetry cornes into existence?