Editing Antithesis (section)

{{Short description|Topic in philosophy; something that is the opposite of something else}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use American English|date = January 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = January 2019}}
'''Antithesis''' ({{plural form}}: '''antitheses'''; [[Greek language|Greek]] for "setting opposite", from {{lang|grc|ἀντι-}} "against" and {{lang|grc|θέσις}} "placing") is used in writing or speech either as a proposition that contrasts with or reverses some previously mentioned proposition, or when two opposites are introduced together for contrasting effect.<ref>{{Cite journal | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=QCzeDfeUe30C&q=Antithesis+figure+of+speech&pg=PA168 | title = English Kumarbharati Grammar,Language Study & Writing Skills Std.X | last1 = Ferreira | first1 = Gladwyn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=9xF14SzHIBAC&q=Antithesis+figure+of+speech&pg=PA111 | title = The Art of Writing and Speaking the English Language | isbn = 978-1406846577 | last1 = Cody | first1 = Sherwin | date = 2007-12-31| publisher = Echo Library }}</ref>

Antithesis can be defined as "a [[figure of speech]] involving a seeming contradiction of ideas, words, clauses, or sentences within a balanced grammatical structure. Parallelism of expression serves to emphasize opposition of ideas".<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Antithesis|title=The Columbia Encyclopedia|year=1963 |url=https://archive.org/details/columbiaencyclop15brid|url-access=registration|publisher=Columbia University Press}}</ref>

An antithesis must always contain two ideas within one statement. The ideas may not be structurally opposite, but they serve to be functionally opposite when comparing two ideas for emphasis.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Lloyd|first1=Alfred|title=The Logic of Antithesis|journal=The Journal of Philosophy, Psychology, and Scientific Methods|date=25 May 1911|volume=8|issue=11|pages=281–289|doi=10.2307/2013034|jstor=2013034}}</ref>

According to [[Aristotle]], the use of an antithesis makes the audience better understand the point the speaker is trying to make. Further explained, the comparison of two situations or ideas makes choosing the correct one simpler. Aristotle states that antithesis in rhetoric is similar to [[syllogism]] due to the presentation of two conclusions within a statement.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Preminger|first1=Alex|last2=Brogan|first2=T.V.F.|title=Antithesis|date=1993|publisher=Princeton University Press}}</ref>

Antitheses are used to strengthen an argument by using either exact opposites or simply contrasting ideas, but can also include both. They typically make a sentence more memorable for the reader or listener through balance and [[wikt:emphasis|emphasis]] of the words.<ref>Nick Skellon, "Antithesis: examples and definition," Speak Like A Pro. 2013</ref>