Some Philosophical Underpinnings for Communication: Western and Eastern Foundations as Seen in Commonplace Principles

Abstract

Concepts of the "Topoi," later segued into Commonplaces (linguistic collections, sources for arguments), mutated from the Aristotelian et.al. cognitive searches for truth into a broader concept. That seminal cognitive basis, over the years, became a disparate and free-flowing collection of humanistic and theological thoughts useful in written or oral communication, regardless of the professional genre, including the world of commerce.

Such an assertion is more relevant to Western rhetorical underpinnings than Eastern rhetorical precepts, primarily the Chinese, who did not employ Western terminology but used similar underlying themes, often grounded in Confucian philosophy. Gutenberg’s movable type, a main causality, allowed hundreds of collections and communication prescriptions to appear: for amplifying thoughts, for professional and personal use, for self gratification, for use in the schools, for the emerging professions, and for the common man. Today ancient rhetorical underpinnings are evident in all communication genre.