This volume investigates the foundational principles and historical evolution of rhetorical theory as a distinct field of communication study. Carroll C. Arnold, a prominent scholar in the discipline, synthesizes decades of research to provide a comprehensive framework for understanding how human communication functions through symbolic action. The text serves as a rigorous examination of the methodologies and theoretical constructs that define the study of rhetoric in both classical and contemporary contexts.

The subject matter points to a dense, specialist text intended for graduate-level students and scholars of communication theory. Its framing suggests a foundational reference work that prioritizes historical continuity and structural analysis over contemporary application.