Standards of discourse is not a term used in ancient rhetoric nor dialectics. They are the requirements met in a speech or conversation, by an orator or a participant in a dialogue, which achieves the desired effects. These standards are the subject of empirical, practice-related theories (τέχνη; tēchnē, ars) of public as well as private ‘discourse’, including within the conversational setting long or short monologues as well as questions and longer or shorter answer (Pl. Grg. 449b9-c8, Prt. 334d6-335c2) ─ thus the topic of rhetoric, eristics, and dialectics.
The s…