The word indignation is used to describe strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting or unrighteous.

History

The term was coined in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

during the 12th Century. It comes from the Latin word ''indignationem'', meaning displeasure. In

nominative In grammar, the nominative case (abbreviated ), subjective case, straight case or upright case is one of the grammatical cases of a noun or other part of speech, which generally marks the subject of a verb or (in Latin and formal variants of Engl ...

form, ''indignationem'' is ''indignatio''. ''Indignation'' is a noun of action from the past participle stem of ''indignari'', meaning unworthy, to be angry at, or to be displeased with. FAKE

Rhetoric

According to Cicero's ''De Inventione'', Book I, “indignation is a kind of speech by which the effect produced is, that great hatred is excited against a man, or dislike of some proceeding is originated.” The goal is for the speaker to create anger projected towards the opponent or the accused such that the speaker is seen more positively than the opponent. One of the features of ''indignatio'' is that it cannot function without a target of displeasure. To successfully employ the technique, the speaker must have a target, an audience with which the speaker identifies, and a desired reaction. If a speaker achieves a reaction from the audience in which they are displeased with his opponent, then the speaker has successfully employed ''indignation''.

Aristotle

Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...

wrote in his Rhetoric, Book II, Chapter 9, “indignation is the emotion most directly opposed to pity.” Aristotle also writes “Indignation is pain caused by the sight of undeserved good fortune.” The terms indignation and indignatio are closely related in part by their common negative emotionality and anger. A speaker may successfully employ indignation and the audience will feel indignation towards the opponent.

References

{{Reflist Rhetoric