Kairos

Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning the "right or opportune moment". It is now used in theology to describe the qualitative form of time. In rhetoric kairos is "a passing instant when an opening appears which must be driven through with force if success is to be achieved." (E. C. White, Kaironomia p. 13)

In rhetoric

Kairos is very important in Aristotle's scheme of rhetoric. Kairos is, for Aristotle, the time and space context in which the proof will be delivered. Kairos stands alongside other contextual elements of rhetoric: The Audience which is the psychological and emotional makeup of those who will receive the proof; and, To Prepon which is the style with which the orator clothes their proof.

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Compare the use of kairos in rhetoric to the use of kairosis in literary aesthetics.

Related Topics:
Kairosis - Literary aesthetics

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Kairos is also the name of "a refereed online journal exploring the intersections of rhetoric, technology, and pedagogy."http://english.ttu.edu/kairos/

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