There are two views of the rhetorical principle of "kairos," or timeliness: first, the deterministic notion of "kairos" as a preordained "right" time in which certain activities are appropriate, and second, the relativistic notion of "kairos" as an exercise "in the nick of time." A satisfactory definition of "kairos" must acknowledge that some well-timed rhetorical effects (humor, for example) cannot be determined by strict rules, but rather are relative to context and situation. The relativistic dimension of "kairos" also explains how rhetorical truth relies not on the representation of objective facts, but on the terms of what is understood and accepted at a particular time. Moreover, this sense of "kairos" explains how identical acts can appear just or good at one time, unjust or evil at another. On a moral level, the absence of absolute standards by which to hold speakers accountable for their acts actually invests speakers with greater moral responsibility to discern when to act and what act to perform. The recognition of these two counterpoised views of "kairos" implies that rhetoric involves combining the prudence to judge the proper time to speak with the courage to speak at the precise moment one's rhetorical contribution will be most fitting. (JG)