Kairos is the concept of opportune timing — the qualitative dimension of the right moment that determines whether an argument, action, or intervention will be effective. Its parameters are: (1) a context of deliberation where multiple courses are available, (2) an assessment of timeliness that cannot be reduced to chronological measurement (chronos), and (3) a judgment of fitness — that a particular act, at a particular moment, aligns with the demands of the situation. The persistence mechanism is teaching in rhetoric and deliberative practice: kairos is transmitted through examples of effective timing, through training in practical wisdom (phronesis), and through the criticism of political and rhetorical discourse. [formal: kairos | substrate: mind | horizon: a moment | explicit: no | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
kairos
Kairos is the concept of opportune timing — the qualitative dimension of the right moment that determines whether an argument, action, or intervention will be effective. Its parameters are: (1) a context of deliberation where multiple cour…
Definition
Why it is in scope
A classical Greek rhetorical concept: the opportune moment — the quality of timing that makes an argument or action effective. A map of persuasive timing, built to persist through teaching in rhetoric, philosophy, and rhetoric-criticism as a dimension of evaluation distinct from chronological measure.
Names and aliases
- kairosen · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cmrmf7wqp001sd1nlgdko4rbiDERIVED_FROM →
kairos DERIVED_FROM rhetoric. Test: which came first? Rhetoric as a broad practice predates the specific concept of kairos, which emerged within Greek rhetorical theory as the notion of the opportune moment. Historical origin, not present-tense dependency.
- cmrtnm79k0014plvprodv9fvkINSTANCE_OF →
kairos INSTANCE_OF rhetorical-device: kairos (the strategic use of opportune timing in speech/argument) IS a specific kind of rhetorical device. rhetorical-device is the general category. This is a clean INSTANCE_OF: one can say 'kairos is a rhetorical device.' The previous DEPENDS_ON filing was wrong — kairos does not need rhetorical-device to operate; kairos IS one.
Relations to this entry
No accepted relations in this direction.
Record identity
- Created
- Jul 20, 2026, 5:30 PM UTC
- Content hash
- 865e5daa67ebc878f722227cbc84d4f28e639cc3d4ff4e92d47d27005e3b4cf0