In classical rhetoric, the Common Topics were a short list of four traditional topics regarded as suitable to structure an argument.
Contents
Four Traditional Topics
- Past Fact (Circumstance)
- Possible/Impossible (Possibility)
- Future Fact (Circumstance)
- Greater/Lesser (Comparison)
Expanded List of Topics
Edward P.J. Corbett and Robert J. Connors expanded the list in their 1971 book Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student to include:
References
The Common Topics Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA