Rhetorical Strategies in the Essay Praise of Memory by Alexandru Paleologu

Abstract

This paper aims to analyse the rhetorical strategies used by Alexandru Paleologu in his essay Praise of Memory, included in the volume “About the Things that Really Matter” (1998). The study investigates how the author constructs an epideictic discourse aimed at strengthening adherence to fundamental values such as memory, justice, moral responsibility, and collective identity. The analysis highlights the careful adaptation to the audience, achieved by activating the common pool of knowledge, anticipating and dismantling the opponents’ arguments, as well as by using correction for didactic purposes. A central role is played by evaluative language and the constant recourse to pathos, which intensifies the persuasive force of the discourse without nullifying the rational component of the argumentation. Alexandru Paleologu combines logos (through historical examples and analogies) with the essayist’s pre-existing ethos and a pronounced affective expressiveness, intended to provoke not only a change of opinion, but also an ethical reaction.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.52505/1857-4300.2026.1(326).09