Running Heading: Rhetorical Analysis of Augustine’s Philosophy of Mind

Rhetorical Analysis

Augustine's Philosophy of Mind

By: Gerarad ‘Daly

James Flournoy

The University at Texas at El Paso

RWS 1301

Dr. Vierra

September 28, 2019

Running Heading: Rhetorical Analysis of Augustine’s Philosophy of Mind

Abstract

This essay will be done on the book “Augustine's Philosophy of Mind” by Gerarad

O’Daly (1987), and will identify the logos, Ethos, and Pathos, within the book. Logos, Ethos,

and pathos are all almost within every book in literature and even more prominent in

monographs, however the identities of these modes of persuasion are quite abstract within this

book and may seem to be a bit indirect. This essay again will not only site the modes of

persuasion within the book but elaborate on how and where these persuasive modes were used.

In addition, the essay will also extramurally discuss the contents of the book.
Running Heading: Rhetorical Analysis of Augustine’s Philosophy of Mind

Rhetorical Analysis

Augustine's Philosophy of Mind by: Gerard O’Daly

Introduction

To persuade is to convince and all forms of persuasion affect you and I equally in our

interpretations. “Augustine's Philosophy of Mind”, is a book that in which identifies and explains

fundamental ideologies of every aspect of the mind from Augustine's perspective. Through his

perspectives you can find pathos directly through his opinions, logos through his comparisons

and analogies, and ethos in his confidence and delivery of information as well as his citations of

common knowledge that is shared between most to all. As similarly stated in a study on

Aristotle's Rhetoric (2014), every mode of persuasion was introduced and rooted in a

philosophical accusation so it's only logical to assume all philosophical references can be

identified from a persuasive perspective including the current book under microscope

“Augustine's Philosophy of Mind”. A Monograph differs from other forms of writing through the

essence that's it's a specialist form of writing and keys in on a specific subject usually only by

one author that's taken information from other scholarly sources on the same specified subject.

The book under review is “Augustine's Philosophy of Mind”, which is a series of

interpretations of the mind that are subject to only his mind, the monograph written on

Augustine's Philosophy of mind are only interpretations of those who studied and interpreted his

philosophies for themselves. Through the perspective of my own, the book is an infinite series of

opinions attempting to be justified through other opinions. Cited in the book Augustine's

Philosophy of Mind “Augustine’s discussions of the human soul’s origin” (Pg. 14), was a
Running Heading: Rhetorical Analysis of Augustine’s Philosophy of Mind

beginning to a paragraph concerning the human soul. This quote assembles the conclusion of the

majority to all of the book being a matter of opinion due to the terminology used, for example

the term “discussion” which was used in the earlier quote, refers to and or is the enchantment of

ideas between two or more people.

Discussion

Rhetoric is the product of philosophical disagreements, disbelief, and or ignorance that

which effect states of consciousness through the branches of rhetoric that are ethos, logos, and

pathos. Augustine applied himself to many endeavors rhetoric. Presented in the article, “

Augustine, as will be discussed below, spent his younger years mastering the theory of rhetoric,

and then spent the rest of life putting into practice what he had learned”(2015). This implies that

Augustine indeed did use rhetoric in some form and also supports the relation between rhetoric

and philosophy through the fact that Augustine identified as a philosopher.

The Monograph in which this analysis is based in is primarily concerned with the

philosophical conceptual functions of how the mind operates. This can be summoned up as

philosophy of mind. The notions that were arrived to in this book came from an ancient

philosopher name Augustine. Augustine wrote this book to inform others of his own logical

interpretation of how the mind may function.

Audience

The audience of the book is directed towards anybody interested in philosophy as a whole

or anybody who takes interest in solely the way the mind may work. From one perspective this

books audience may very well be anybody with a spark of curiosity due to the first step of
Running Heading: Rhetorical Analysis of Augustine’s Philosophy of Mind

curiosity being question and all questions originate though the minds configuration. In addition,

another audience of the book may be those who just admire Aristotle's work specifically.

Ethos

Augustine's Philosophy of Mind is a very credible book for a variety of reasons. This

monograph is credible and convincing through logos to achieve ethos. The composition as a

whole is directed towards common sense and or popular belief which is in a sense is fact. In the

book references are also taken from many other scholarly peer Journals primarily taken from

Rhetorical Journals of rhetoric writers from Augustine's era, such as Thomas Aquinas, William

of Ockham, and Boethius whom all were rhetoric advocates who used it to portray their

philosophical assumptions. As stated in the text “It is no doubt largely derived from the study of

the “books of the Platonist” in the summer of 386”(p.56), this quote from within the book

supports the credibility of the book through the use of sources being that Platonist refer to Plato's

who was also a very prominent rhetoric composer.

Pathos

In a sense the whole book is deeply immersed in pathos. The act of persuasion is rooted

in the desire to prove which in logic a product of activial refined emotion is. Augustine himself

was very well can be considered a citation for the implementation of pathos in his audience.

According to Augustine of Hippo: The relevance of his life and thought today, “In the case of

Augustine, I suspect most of us may feel less a dwarf on his shoulders than an ant on his heels”

(2008). This suggests and supports the notion that those who followed his work, were deeply

affected by compositions to the point that they configured a comparison of themselves to be

miniscule compared to him.

Logos
Running Heading: Rhetorical Analysis of Augustine’s Philosophy of Mind

The use of Logos was excessive throughout the entire book. Oddly enough, logos was

used in and out of the intro, body, abstract, as well as the preface. This is due to the subject

content being solely a logic based argument written down in rhetorical form. Taken from the

book, “The source of wrongdoing is, therefore the misdirection of the will, a substitution of

means in place of the proper end” (pg. 5). Through the language Augustine used it is obvious he

is attempting to imply a point through the organization of thought in a developmental manner,

which is in sense the function of logic at its core.

Conclusion

The Rhetorical Analysis of Augustine's book of Philosophy and the citing of the use of

ethos, logos, and pathos within it was made the accusations and overall objective of the book

clearer. Augustine's contribution to rhetoric was limited but his study of it was strenuous that

which was manifested through his style of writing in this book. Through the analysis of the book

I noticed the gravity of how infected philosophical compositions of thought were and are. More

profoundly I came to the realization that Augustine's Philosophy of mind is just in one

perspective conveyed through persuasion into a specific logic.

Running Heading: Rhetorical Analysis of Augustine’s Philosophy of Mind

References

 Redeeming Rhetoric: Augustine's use of Rhetoric in his preaching ministry by John A.

Sypert (2015)

 Augustine of Hippo: The Relevance of His Life and Thought Today by Nick Needman

(2008)

 Augustine's Philosophy of Mind by Gerard O’Daly (1987)

 Aristotle's Rhetoric by Claire Floyd-Lapp (2014)