--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In any piece of rhetorical discourse, one…" description: "\"In any piece of rhetorical discourse, one rhetorical term overcomes another rhetorical term only by being nearer to the term which stands ultimate. The..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/093/richard-m-weaver-7447_aristocracy_in-any-piece-of-rhetorical-discourse-one_3108786.jpg" --- # In any piece of rhetorical discourse, one rhetorical term… ![“In any piece of rhetorical discourse, one rhetorical term overcomes another rhetorical term only by being nearer to the term which stands ultimate. There is some ground for calling a rhetorical education necessarily aristocratic education in that the rhetorician has to deal with an aristocracy of…” quote by Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/093/richard-m-weaver-7447_aristocracy_in-any-piece-of-rhetorical-discourse-one_3108786.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/093/richard-m-weaver-7447_aristocracy_in-any-piece-of-rhetorical-discourse-one_3108786.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/093/richard-m-weaver-7447_aristocracy_in-any-piece-of-rhetorical-discourse-one_3108786.jpg) > “In any piece of rhetorical discourse, one rhetorical term overcomes another rhetorical term only by being nearer to the term which stands ultimate. There is some ground for calling a rhetorical education necessarily aristocratic education in that the rhetorician has to deal with an aristocracy of notions.” [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rhetorical terms succeed based on proximity to ultimate concepts, suggesting education should prioritize foundational ideas over superficial ones. **In simple terms:** Rhetoric succeeds by being close to core ideas; education should focus on fundamentals. Key Takeaway Prioritize foundational concepts in learning. Themes education rhetoric philosophy foundations hierarchy Mood analytical philosophical critical Type theoretical instructive When to use this quote - curriculum design - academic seminars - public speaking - critical writing - philosophical debate Key Concepts aristocratic education conceptual hierarchy intellectual rigor Questions to Reflect On - How can education balance foundational depth with inclusivity? - What are the risks of privileging certain notions? A Different Perspective Focusing only on elite concepts may exclude diverse perspectives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aristocracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aristocracy/) [Aristocratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aristocratic/) [Calling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calling/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Discourse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discourse/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Education Rhetorician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education-rhetorician-5420570/) [Eloquence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eloquence/) [Notion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notion/) [Overcomes Rhetorical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcomes-rhetorical-5420569/) [Overcoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcoming/) [Pieces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pieces/) [Rhetorical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhetorical/) [Rhetorical Discourse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhetorical-discourse-5420571/) [Rhetorical Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhetorical-education-5420568/) [Rhetorical Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhetorical-term-4433708/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Ultimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimate/) ## Related quotes > [“Charientism (n.) A rhetorical term to describe saying a disagreeable thing in an agreeable way. If I knew how to say disagreeable things in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ammon-shea/charientism-n-a-rhetorical-term-to-describe-saying-a-disagreeable/) [Ammon Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ammon-shea/) > [The prevailing conception is that education must be such as will enable one to acquire enough wealth to live on the plane of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/the-prevailing-conception-is-that-education-must-be-such-as-will/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [The aristocratic mind ... is anti-analytical. It is concerned more with the status of being than with the demonstrable relationship of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/the-aristocratic-mind-is-anti-analytical-it-is-concerned-more-with/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [When we consider the close connection between science and industrial development on the one hand, and between literary and aesthetic cultivation and an aristocratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/when-we-consider-the-close-connection-between-science-and-industrial/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [You are the only woman who has a sense of gaiety, a wise tolerance - no more, you seem to urge me to betray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/you-are-the-only-woman-who-has-a-sense-of-gaiety-a-wise-tolerance-no/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [“He admired her for throwing off her aristocratic shackles -- his terms, that -- and making her own way in the world. He didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/he-admired-her-for-throwing-off-her-aristocratic-shackles-his-terms/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) > [The old idea that the joke was not good enough for the company has been superseded by the new aristocratic idea that the company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-old-idea-that-the-joke-was-not-good-enough-for-the-company-has/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [I do keep getting these bad girl roles. The funny thing is that, honestly, I don't think I'm believable as these aristocratic mean girls.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgrath/i-do-keep-getting-these-bad-girl-roles-the-funny-thing-is-that/) [Katie McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgrath/) > [History is the most aristocratic of all literary pursuits, because it obliges the historian to be rich as well as educated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/history-is-the-most-aristocratic-of-all-literary-pursuits-because-it/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [“The truth was that, with the Duchess de Luxembourg, with Mme de Morienval, Mme de Saint-Euverte and any number of others, the features that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/the-truth-was-that-with-the-duchess-de-luxembourg-with-mme-de/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [One main condition of aristocratic life was present in the South and not in the North--personal responsibility to other human beings for education and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/one-main-condition-of-aristocratic-life-was-present-in-the-south-and/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [It will be said that the joy of mental adventure must be rare, that there are few who can appreciate it, and that ordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/it-will-be-said-that-the-joy-of-mental-adventure-must-be-rare-that/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Where there is no danger of overt action there is rarely any interference with freedom. That is why there has so often been amazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/where-there-is-no-danger-of-overt-action-there-is-rarely-any/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [Aristocratic depression has this cosmic dimension to it, where it's asking these big questions about, "Why?" "What is the purpose of all this?" Neuroses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-douglas/aristocratic-depression-has-this-cosmic-dimension-to-it-where-it-s/) [Lawrence Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-douglas/) > [“I have an aristocratic smile and like to punch people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-have-an-aristocratic-smile-and-like-to-punch-people/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) ## More by Richard M. Weaver > [Drill in exact translation is an excellent way of disposing the mind against that looseness and exaggeration with which the sensationalists have corrupted our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/drill-in-exact-translation-is-an-excellent-way-of-disposing-the-mind/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [Piety is a discipline of the will through respect. It admits the right to exist of things larger than the ego, of things different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/piety-is-a-discipline-of-the-will-through-respect-it-admits-the-right/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [The most important thing about the gentleman was that he was an idealist. ... He was bred up to a code of self-restraint which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/the-most-important-thing-about-the-gentleman-was-that-he-was-an/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [The member of a culture ... purposely avoids the relationship of intimacy; he wants the object somehow depicted and fictionalized. ... He is embarrassed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/the-member-of-a-culture-purposely-avoids-the-relationship-of-intimacy/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [“Man is constantly being assured today that he has more power than ever before in history, but his daily experience is one of powerlessness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/man-is-constantly-being-assured-today-that-he-has-more-power-than/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [Man is constantly being assured that he has more power than ever before in history, but his daily experience is one of powerlessness. ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/man-is-constantly-being-assured-that-he-has-more-power-than-ever/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [The remark has been made that in the Civil War the North reaped the victory and the South the glory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/the-remark-has-been-made-that-in-the-civil-war-the-north-reaped-the/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [No one can take culture seriously if he believes that it is only the uppermost of several layers of epiphenomena resting on a primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/no-one-can-take-culture-seriously-if-he-believes-that-it-is-only-the/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [“It will be found that every attack upon religion, or upon characteristic ideas inherited from religion, when its assumptions are laid bare, turns out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/it-will-be-found-that-every-attack-upon-religion-or-upon/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [ Progress never defines its ultimate objective but thrusts its victims at once into an infinite series,' Mr. \[John Crowe\] Ransom said' 'Industrialism,' he declared,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/progress-never-defines-its-ultimate-objective-but-thrusts-its-victims/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [Until the world perceives that "good" cannot be applied to a thing because it is our own, and "bad" because it is another's, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/until-the-world-perceives-that-good-cannot-be-applied-to-a-thing/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [Any utterance is a major assumption of responsibility, and the assumption that one can avoid that responsibility by doing something to language itself is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/any-utterance-is-a-major-assumption-of-responsibility-and-the/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [ A prejudice may be an unreasoned judgment, he \[Hibben\] pointed out, but an unreasoned judgment is not necessarily an illogical judgment. ... First, there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/a-prejudice-may-be-an-unreasoned-judgment-he-hibben-pointed-out-but/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [That it does not matter what a man believes is a statement heard on every side today. ... What he believes tells him what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/that-it-does-not-matter-what-a-man-believes-is-a-statement-heard-on/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [The most likely way to kill a tradition is to over-formalize it, which is to carry it on in the same way after everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/the-most-likely-way-to-kill-a-tradition-is-to-over-formalize-it-which/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) [Explore all 91 Richard M. Weaver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) ## More Aristocracy quotes > [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Motherland is our property and we have right to handle our properties as pleased. The jokes about death for the sake of the motherland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/motherland-is-our-property-and-we-have-right-to-handle-our-properties/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is... an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents... The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/there-is-an-artificial-aristocracy-founded-on-wealth-and-birth/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Your best friends are your principles, if you havent them, dont look for another friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/your-best-friends-are-your-principles-if-you-havent-them-dont-look/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [A strong saying is not afraid of criticism, because it includes all the answers to criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/a-strong-saying-is-not-afraid-of-criticism-because-it-includes-all/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“I believe in aristocracy, though -- if that is the right word, and if a democrat may use it. Not an aristocracy of power,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster-2/i-believe-in-aristocracy-though-if-that-is-the-right-word-and-if-a/) [E.M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster-2/) > [24.9 percent of American children live in poverty, while the proportions in Germany, France and Italy are 8.6, 7.4 and 10.5 percent. And once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hutton/24-9-percent-of-american-children-live-in-poverty-while-the/) [Will Hutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hutton/) > [Tomorrow every Duchess in London will be waiting to kiss me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsay-macdonald/tomorrow-every-duchess-in-london-will-be-waiting-to-kiss-me/) [Ramsay MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsay-macdonald/) > [“Why do these big old country houses always have family portraits in the dining room? Do you really want to eat with someone's gloomy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-jane-howard/why-do-these-big-old-country-houses-always-have-family-portraits-in/) [Elizabeth Jane Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-jane-howard/) > [“I believe in aristocracy, though—if that is the right word, and if a democrat may use it. Not an aristocracy of power … but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-n-aron/i-believe-in-aristocracy-though-if-that-is-the-right-word-and-if-a-2/) [Elaine N. Aron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-n-aron/) > [Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations. Books, the oldest and the best, stand naturally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/books-are-the-treasured-wealth-of-the-world-and-the-fit-inheritance/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [We stand a better chance with aristocracy, whether hereditary or elective, than with monarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/we-stand-a-better-chance-with-aristocracy-whether-hereditary-or/) [Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/) > [ The law for religious freedom... \[has\]put down the aristocracy of the clergy and restored to the citizen the freedom of the mind. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-law-for-religious-freedom-has-put-down-the-aristocracy-of-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Common sense, in so far as it exists, is all for the bourgeoisie. Nonsense is the privilege of the aristocracy. The worries of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-jean-nathan/common-sense-in-so-far-as-it-exists-is-all-for-the-bourgeoisie/) [George Jean Nathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-jean-nathan/) [Browse all 426 Aristocracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aristocracy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In any piece of rhetorical discourse, one rhetorical term overcomes another rhetorical term only by being nearer to the term which stands ultimate. There is some ground for calling a rhetorical education necessarily aristocratic education in that the rhetorician has to deal with an aristocracy of notions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard M. 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