Memorys use in Rhetoric

Before the invention of print, memory was a key component of rhetoric and was regarded by ancient rhetoricians as one of the cannons of rhetoric. The rhetorician Cicero regarded memory as important for the retaining or recalling of information, arrangement of speech and recalling other arguments. For ancient rhetors, memory went hand in hand with karios. The rhetorician Quintilian suggested thinking of memory as a “tappable”, a system of signs and symbols that can be used to trigger a name, argument or image. This was also known as a “memory-ready” conditions, where the brain has been trained and organized to recall past memories and information.

The training and practicing of memory was known as artificial memory, which is memory that has been carefully trained and organized to remember things. Ancient rhetors advised their students to think of memory as a literal place and to try and visual what you want to remember when recalling memory. This was extremely important for ancient rhetors since they did not have the accessibility of being able to write down what they wanted to remember.

Modern rhetors are able to rely on writing and electronic storage systems to create artificial memory. It has been argued that this has created a decrease in the need for memory. However, this is not true. Although modern rhetors are able to write down what they want to remember, they still have to remember from pure memory how to write and how to use electronic devises. Writing has given modern rhetors accessibility to literate memory systems such as books, periodicals and libraries. Electronic memory systems have vastly improved both artificial memory and literate storage facilities.

Although modern rhetors may not rely as heavily on memory for their rhetorical arguments, memory is still a key component of rhetoric and used by modern rhetoricians.