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inventio

Inventio, or invention, is the first canon of classical rhetoric, describing the process of generating and selecting arguments and evidence for a speech or text. Derived from the Latin invenire, meaning to come upon or discover, inventio concerns identifying a topic, clarifying the purpose, and assembling material that will persuade an audience. Rhetoricians distinguish content generation from organization and stylistic delivery; invention lays the groundwork for persuasion by supplying claims, reasons, examples, definitions, authorities, and counterarguments.

A key tool of invention is the set of topoi or commonplaces—general argumentative strategies such as definition,

Historical development: early Greek and Roman theorists such as Aristotle, Cicero, and Quintilian formalized invention as

See also: topoi, enthymeme, rhetorical canons, logos, ethos, pathos.

comparison,
consequence,
cause
and
effect,
analogy,
and
circumstance.
By
applying
topoi
to
the
rhetorical
situation,
a
speaker
can
tailor
material
to
audience
expectations,
venue,
and
purpose.
In
classical
theory,
invention
is
exercised
across
the
main
genres
or
spheres
of
rhetoric:
forensic
(courtroom),
deliberative
(political
or
policy),
and
epideictic
(ceremonial
praise
or
blame).
Within
these
spheres,
the
inventor
constructs
lines
of
reasoning,
anticipates
objections,
and
chooses
proofs,
often
using
enthymemes
and
syllogisms.
a
distinct
stage
of
composition.
Medieval
and
Renaissance
writers
expanded
the
inventory
of
topics
and
integrated
invention
with
methods
of
research
and
style.
In
modern
rhetoric
and
communication
studies,
invention
remains
the
foundational
activity
of
content
creation,
adapted
to
new
media,
genres,
and
audiences.