Scholars of rhetoric consider the Greek philosopher Aristotle one of the great contributors to our current understanding of this art which, since its origins and up to the present, has been a controversial field of study due to its association with persuasion and influence. However, an examination of ancient rhetoric and its development by the sophists and then a study of Aristotle's theory of rhetoric and how he concluded his findings direct our attention to the question of whether this Greek philosopher included in his theory only what he defined inadequate and not fundamental Sophistic teachings, or even built his theory on their techniques, long criticized and neglected. In this essay I argue that Aristotle's rhetoric is an evolution of the discredited methodology of the sophists. I submit that the sophistic contribution to Aristotle's theory is more than a partial inclusion of their teachings disdained by ancient orthodox philosophers and some modern scholars. The examined readings of his theory on the art of rhetoric demonstrate his elaborate use of many sophisticated perspectives. Aristotelian rhetoric, at the center of the development of our modern studies in this field, can therefore be considered an evolution of the rhetoric of the sophists, which has lately been the focus of study of many scholars who called for a reevaluation of the long despised and neglected techniques by the sophists. To explain my argument, I will briefly review the main tenets of sophistic rhetoric and why Plato condemned such "crazy" and "bad" rhetoric, but later recanted and stated that there was such a thing as "good rhetoric." Finally, I will justify why Aristotelian rhetoric can be perceived as a systematic evolution and progression of Sophist rhetoric. further helping to discredit their position for centuries” (Allen, 1994, p. 11). Works Cited1- Allen, J., (March, 1994). Aristotle and socio-epistemic rhetoric: the systematization of the sophist legacy. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Nashville, TN. Article retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED370110&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED3701102 – Jarratt, S., (1998). Rereading the Sophists: Classical Rhetoric Refigured. Southern Illinois University Carbondale Press. Book retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2156/Reader3- Herrick, J., (2009). The history and theory of rhetoric: an introduction. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.