The modern definition of rhetoric is based on the conception of rhetoric as a universal system of persuasion, so persuasive discourses are the main object of rhetorical researches. Political discourse, the primary purpose of which is persuasion, is a textbook example of persuasive discourse. The paper presents a study into political rhetoric: the comments ant political programmes of the candidates in the presidential election in the Republic of Lithuania. This research aimed to determine the dominant figurative expression in political comments according to the methodological approach of the discipline of rhetoric and on previous studies. Figurative expression is a broad linguistic category involving the use of (non-)linguistic tools of expression which perform the aesthetic and (or) persuasive function. In rhetorical studies, a figurative expression is realised and analysed not as a standard embellishment of discourse, but primarily as an instrument of persuasion. It must be noted that for elocution-level rhetoric analysis of political discourse, essential expression tools are those that reflect the worldview and the values of discourse participants. Therefore, besides the rhetorical analysis, the methods of content and context analysis are also invoked. Discourse studies reveal a direct interaction between rhetorical tools and persuasion of the message. Rhetorical figures perform the function of information “framing” and adapting the expectations of the addressee.

Advertising may be examined as a particular form of rhetoric the aims of which are the same as of rhetoric, namely to affect mind, will, feelings, and to persuade. The theory of rhetoric, the main object of which is discourse not only in narrow meaning (as verbal expression of ideas (i.e. to say text)), but also in broad meaning – as a communicative act between the addresser and the addressee since its interdisciplinary nature provides the right tools to explore the advertising discourse. The theory of rhetoric is successfully applied in development of advertising discourse, because it helps to foresee the communicative act between the addresser and the addressee. Advertising and rhetoric are combined by many common elements, but the same goal is the most important: both, rhetoric and advertising seek for persuasion through verbal and non-verbal measures.The paper deals with the analysis of the inventive level of advertising discourse, i.e., eristic arguments, spread of ways of proofing / persuasion. Eristic argumentation is a dominant argumentation type in advertising. This method of persuasion is a way to create truth visibility although it is just superficial. The most typical schemes of eristic argumentation used in advertising are as follows: argumentum ad vanitatem (appeal to the vanity of the addressee), argumentum ad verecundiam (appeal to the authority), argumentum baculinum (method of “whip” argument), argumentum ad novitatem (appeal to novelty). The article shows the usage of eristic arguments in Lithuanian commercial ads.

The great spread of the phenomenon of MeToo, a global movement promoting the publicity of the facts of sexual harassment, has also received a response in Lithuania: anonymous stories in blogs have grown into a provocative discourse that has attracted a great deal of attention. The aim of the research presented in this article is to characterise the discourse of MeToo in terms of rhetorical expression that has not been discussed yet: to identify and elicit the dominant elements of rhetorical argumentation. The empirical research was conducted using the method of rhetorical analysis that allows distinguishing and defining in rhetorical categories the models characteristic to rhetoric appeals. The method of rhetorical analysis combined with directed content analysis, as well as with critical discourse analysis. Following the methodology of provocative narrative research, it was analysed the material published at the time of maximum intensity and involvement in the discourse, such as testimonies, publications, interviews, and comments of women who have been subjected to sexual harassment. The results of rhetorical discourse analysis allow us to discuss the culture of accusation in which the normalization of victim condemnation is prevalent, and logical reasoning gives way to prejudice-based emotional appeals.

Vilniaus universitetas, Kauno fakultetas, Kalbų, literatūros ir vertimo studijų institutas, Muitinės g. 8, skirmante.birzietiene@knf.vu.lt Eglė GabrėnaitėVilniaus universitetas, Kauno fakultetas, Kalbų, literatūros ir vertimo studijų institutas, Muitinės g. 8, egle.gabrenaite@knf.vu.lt Anotacija. Retorika -universali įtikinėjimo sistema, gebėjimas atrasti įtikinimo būdus ir priemones kiekvienu konkrečiu atveju. Įtikinimo proceso esminė dalis -argumentavimas -yra retorikos mokslo šerdis. Straipsnyje pristatomo tyrimo objektas -politinio diskurso argumentacijos lygmuo. Įvairių reklamos formų argumentacijos ypatybių analizė atskleidžia, kad eristinė argumentacija yra vyraujanti argumentacijos rūšis reklamoje. Paveikiuosiuose diskursuose eristiniai argumentai pasitelkiami dažnai, politiniame diskurse tam įtakos turi konkurenciniai santykiai, populiarumo vaikymasis, kova dėl valdžios, kuri įvairių, ypač per priešrinkimų debatus įgyja žodinio ginčo pavidalą. Tirti politinių reklamų pavyzdžiai atskleidžia, kad eristinėmis gudrybėmis vadinami argumentavimo modeliai politiniame diskurse funkcionuoja kaip paveikaus diskurso kūrimo strategija, turinti padėti pelnyti auditorijos simpatijas ir palankumą, kurti bendrystės ir bendradarbiavimo tarp politiko ir auditorijos regimybę.Esminiai žodžiai: retorika, persvazija, eristika, eristinis argumentavimas, politinė reklama.

Political commentary is called the genre of evaluative journalism with fundamental indication, the expression of subjective opinion, on purpose to explain political phenomena and to assess it. From the perspective of rhetoric science positions, the most important is the argumentative level of commentary, i.e., persuasive substantiation of author’s propositions with its various forms: from argued reasoning and discussion what brings commentary closer to analytical genre to the usage of manipulative eristic argumentation.This article analyses the comments of political reviewers which are different from published comments in printed and electronic media: structurally they are too fragmented to identify them as traditional comments; they are different from new genre of internet comments as usually they are the product of multidirectional interactive reflection with the content and expression forms that are predetermined by specific communication circumstances. Political commentary is explored as political rhetoric expression form on purpose to identify and reveal the changes of political commentary and to define the factors that inspire them.