Memory as the Most Important Cannon

Exordium/Introduction:

In every Rhetoric class the Five Cannons--Invention, Arrangement, Style, Memory, Delivery--make up a essential part of the curriculum. While each cannon is interrelated and dependant on one another Memory holds a important place in our society that the other cannons do not. Due to technological advances the issue of memory is considered in a entirely new light in modern society compared to that of ancient Greece where the cannons were born.

Narrative:

In ancient Greece, memory was a essential skill utilized by society on a daily basis to a extent that modern society can barley imagine. The lack a printing press and even general means of record (paper and pen) were not common utensils of the time. Scholars expanded their knowledge base and practiced their rhetoric through progymnasmatas, most of which were practiced souly through repetition and memorization. For example, a progymnasmata that requires the student to persuade an audience, that student must not only remember his previous encounters with both the subject and the audience but remember in coherent detail his prepared method of delivery.

In modern times, with the invention of limitless resources and ever evolving technology any given person may only remember one telephone number, their social security number, and their address. Technology has created a society that relies almost entirely on artificial memory. In fact, we trust a great deal of our lives to this technology. We do not need to remember phone numbers, contact details, or even details of a presentation. All of these things are at our finger tips ready to be displayed at our beck and call in precise detail. It is the development of technology that has caused our society to replace the ancient concept of memory with that of a artificial one.

Partition:

The development of computers that aid in scheduling out lives is one of the best examples of this modern artificial memory. College students, for example, have a class schedule, work schedule, athletic schedule, and homework due dates to adhear to on a daily basis. To help the common college student remain punctual to every task required of them they have several instruments of technology to keep them on track through out the day.

Allow me to offer myself up as an example: at 9:50 am my alarm clock rang to remind me that I had to wake up and get ready. The alarm on my phone went off shortly after telling me that I had tutoring and then a presentation to complete that morning. During the presentation I used a power point with numerous notes to keep myself and my group on track during the discussion. Soon after I received a text telling me to come to practice at the indoor stadium at 3:00 pm. Later this afternoon I checked my email which reminded me that I had this homework due. All of these things on the computer also require log in's and passwords that the computer memorizes for me. If not for the several instruments of technology I used on a basic day, I would have fell short in many areas of my life because my modern world has shaped me not to remember these daily tasks on my own. I know I am not alone in this occurrence. I share the same memory dependence as everyone else in the modern, first world society.

Peroration:

Society is entirely dependant on technology to help us retain mundane information necessary in everyday life. Memory is the most important cannon because it is a live, evolving element of Rhetoric that brings an ancient rhetorical method into the 21st century.