Commonplace

In Rhetoric, the commonplaces , or topoi in Greek, is pools of ideas or treatments of an idea which is at the disposal of all and whose persuasive value is traditionally recognized, for esthetic reasons, because they are fertile in the field of the invention (see Rhétorique), or because they belong to the usually allowed ideas by the audience and can by reinforcing its adhesion there. The speaker (but also the author of writings) can, and even must resort to it, but it should find the means of presenting them in a way personal and appropriate to the situation.

In the formulation of Marc Angenot, the word lampoonist. Typology of the modern discourses (Paris: Payot, 1982), at the same time synthesis and application of one return to the design aristotelician of the topos, a topos would be any proposal first, irreducible logically with another, presupposed in a persuasive statement .

In the language running , this expression took a pejorative direction and indicates the recourse to ideas many times repeated, used and hollow. One will say as follows: “This speech is a fabric of commonplaces, no invention, nothing personnel! ”

For Jacques Ellul, let us say that the commonplaces are the expression of an ideology, and can be useful to distinguish it. catalog collective Illusion S, Représentation S unconsciously distorted of the others, adversaries, as well as unconsciously developed exaltation of the ideals as one claims to have. Belief S collective, resting on allowed presuppositions without discussion, possible disputes. The commonplace is really common because it does not support any basic discussion. It is seldom quoted, but it is constantly present, it is behind the reflections and the speeches, it are behind the conversations .

See too

Internal bonds

External bonds

  • international Dictionary of the literary terms: TOPOS

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