Talkhis al-Khitaba
- Author died
- 595 AH
- Editions
- Talkhis al-Khitaba
Talkhis al-Khitaba (The Middle Commentary on Aristotle's Rhetoric) is an Arabic commentary written by the Andalusian philosopher and jurist Ibn Rushd al-Hafid (520–595 AH / 1126–1198 CE) on Aristotle's Rhetoric, analyzing rhetorical discourse within the framework of logic, persuasion, and civil virtue .
Background and Purpose
The composition of Ibn Rushd's commentaries on Aristotle arose when the Almohad ruler Abu Ya'qub Yusuf sought clarification for the convoluted texts of the Peripatetic corpus through Ibn Tufayl, who recommended Ibn Rushd for the task . Ibn Rushd defined rhetoric as the capacity to produce possible persuasion in each individual matter . He integrated the art into the logical organon, explaining that both rhetoric and dialectic (jadal) share the goal of external communication with others—unlike demonstrative proof (burhan), which a thinker employs individually—and therefore both fall under the domain of the logical art . He highlighted the civic utility of rhetoric in encouraging citizens toward virtuous actions and establishing justice in communal life .
Structure and Contents
The work is organized into three treatises (maqalat) corresponding to the tripartite division of Aristotle's Rhetoric :
- First Treatise (al-Maqala al-Ula): Examines the relationship between rhetoric, dialectic, and logic, setting out the core mechanisms of persuasion. It identifies the three main genres of rhetorical address: deliberative or consultative speeches (al-mashuriyya), epideictic or encomiastic speeches (al-manafariyya), and forensic or judicial speeches (al-mushajariyya), along with the use of rhetorical syllogisms (enthymemes, dama'ir) and rhetorical induction via paradigm examples (amthal) .
- Second Treatise (al-Maqala al-Thaniyya): Investigates the psychology of the audience and judges, analyzing human emotions (infi'alat) such as anger, fear, friendship, and animosity, and how these emotional states influence judgment . It also examines the moral character and perceived virtue of the speaker as an instrument of persuasion .
- Treatise Three (al-Maqala al-Thalitha): Concentrates on style, linguistic expression (al-alfaz and al-'ibara), and the arrangement of speech parts (ajza' al-qawl al-khatabi) . It incorporates extensive discussions of figures of speech, including simile (tashbih), metaphor (isti'ara), and metonymy (kinaya), illustrating these principles with examples drawn from Arabic poetry .
Method and Reception
In contrast to the earlier commentary of Ibn Sina, which merged various textual strands and omitted literary illustrations, Ibn Rushd's Talkhis presented a clearer, systematically structured exposition while illustrating rhetorical devices with Arabic literary traditions . Along with Ibn Rushd's broader corpus of Aristotelian commentaries, the work was translated into Latin and Hebrew during the medieval period and was studied in European universities beginning in the thirteenth century .
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