Rhetoric is not, I think, just a convenient concept existing only in the mind of speakers, audiences, writers, critics, and teachers. It has an essence or reality that has not been appreciated. I shall argue in this book that rhetoric, in essence, is a form of mental and emotional energy. This is most clearly seen when an individual, animal or human, is faced with some serious threat or opportunity that may be affected by utterance. An emotional reaction takes place in the mind.
Rhetoric is thus a 'conservative' faculty.
Each of these words has strong moral, political connotations. I will add more definitions as we further interrogate this Question of rhetoric.