Cicero's Five Canons of Rhetoric in Jiabao Li's TED Talk
This paper applies Cicero's five canons of rhetoric — invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery — to Jiabao Li's TED Talk, "Art That Reveals How Technology Frames Reality." The analysis examines how Li constructs and delivers her argument that technology invisibly mediates human perception of reality. Each rhetorical canon is evaluated in turn: how Li identifies and develops her central claim, structures her presentation in a three-part format, employs accessible language and analogy, commits her material to memory for fluent delivery, and uses gesture and visual illustration to engage her audience effectively.
- Introduction: Cicero's Five Canons of Rhetoric: Overview of Cicero's five rhetorical canons
- Invention: Developing the Central Argument: Li's central claim about technology and perception
- Arrangement: Structuring the Presentation: Three-part structure of Li's TED Talk
- Style: Language and Rhetorical Devices: Accessible language and analogy in Li's talk
- Memory and Delivery: Performance and Communication: Li's fluency, gesture, and audience engagement
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper applies a clear, established analytical framework — Cicero's five canons — systematically to a single speech, giving the analysis a tight and logical structure.
- Direct quotations from the TED Talk are used as evidence in each section, grounding claims in the actual text of the speech rather than general assertion.
- The paper balances theoretical explanation (defining each canon) with applied analysis (showing how Li enacts each canon), making it accessible and academically sound.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied rhetorical criticism — taking a classical theoretical framework and systematically mapping its components onto a contemporary speech. This technique requires the writer to first define each concept clearly and then locate specific textual evidence that illustrates it, moving between theory and practice throughout.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens by introducing Cicero's five canons and the TED Talk under analysis. It then moves through each canon in sequence — invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery — dedicating a paragraph to each. This mirrors the classical structure itself, and closes by treating memory and delivery together, reflecting their shared focus on performance. References appear at the end in APA format.
Introduction: Cicero's Five Canons of Rhetoric
Roman philosopher Cicero, in De Inventione, argues that there are five tenets of effective rhetorical communication. Originally, these tenets were created with a focus on oration and public speaking, though some are also applicable to different stages of the writing process. The five canons of rhetoric are invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. Together, they provide a comprehensive framework for analyzing how a speaker constructs and communicates a persuasive message to an audience.
Invention: Developing the Central Argument
Invention is the process of determining what to say in order to persuade the audience of a particular view (University, 2019). This stage involves brainstorming in the pre-writing or pre-presentation phase — deciding what the presentation should encompass. Jiabao Li's TED Talk, "Art That Reveals How Technology Frames Reality," focuses on how technology mediates the way we perceive reality (TED Talks, 2019). She states, "And lately, I've been thinking a lot about how technology mediates the way we perceive reality. And it's being done in a super invisible and nuanced way" (TED Talks, 2019). This statement establishes the dominant focus of her presentation and signals to the audience precisely what she intends to argue.
Arrangement: Structuring the Presentation
The arrangement tenet involves structuring content to relay a message in a compelling and organized manner. Today, the most common organizational structure has three phases: introduction, body, and conclusion. Cicero's classical arrangement, by contrast, had five stages: introduction, statement of neutral facts, presentation of one's case, refutation of contrary opinions, and conclusion (University, 2019). Li adopts the contemporary three-stage arrangement in her presentation. The introduction establishes her identity and occupation, as well as the topic she intends to address: "I'm an artist and an engineer. And lately, I've been thinking a lot about how technology mediates the way we perceive reality" (TED Talks, 2019). The body of the talk elaborates on the difference between interacting in real life compared to using digital media, which she argues can be misguiding. For example, she states, "Our perception is not only part of our identities, but in digital media, it's also a part of the value chain" (TED Talks, 2019). Here she argues for design interventions that individuals can adopt to protect their perception from the distorting effects of technology.
References
TED Talks. (2019). Art that reveals how technology frames reality [Video]. Retrieved 25 May 2022, from https://www.ted.com/talks/jiabao_li_art_that_reveals_how_technology_frames_reality/transcript.
University. (2019). The five canons of rhetoric [Ebook]. Retrieved 25 May 2022, from
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