On Weaver

Richard M. Weaver discusses two ways of revealing truth through language, dialectic and rhetoric. The use of definitions, inclusion, exclusion, and implication is a way of revealing truth through dialectic. Weaver believes that dialectic has a few limitations. The problems with dialectic is that it can't commit to a position and it isn't involved with the actual world.

Rhetoric takes a position and then relates it to what is going on in the world. Rhetoric takes the audience into consideration and makes what is being presented interesting to them. If rhetoric is presented in the right way, the audience should be moved to take the side of the dialectic that is being discussed.

Weaver believes that the use of rhetoric along with the use of dialectic can outway all of the problems with dialectic. I agree with Weaver's views on dialectic and rhetoric. Weaver says that rhetoric is able to have a bigger effect on its audience because it doesn't depend on scientific records to express an idea. Rhetoric involves what is going on in the world, therefore the audience can relate better to what is being said. No one wants to just hear about the scientific mumbo jumbo. Dialectic needs to be followed up with some rhetoric.