Rhetoric

Syllogism

A formula for presenting an argument logically

Commonplace

Any cliche, belief, or value that can serve as your audience's boiled down public opinion. The starting point of an argument

Gratuitous Emotional Appeal

Appeal that has no rational grounds, based on irrational fears, prejudices, and unexamined assumptions.

Dubitatio

Appearing doubtful of your own persuasive skill

Deductive Reasoning

Argument from general to specific

Inductive Reasoning

Argument from specific to general

Practical Wisdom

Aristotle's idea for street smarts or common sense

Classical Arrangement

Aristotle's rules for organizing an argument

Logic

Emotion trumps _____

Pathos

Ethical appeal

4 questions to find a hidden fallacy

Does the proof hold?

Glittering Generality

" we mutually pledge to each other of our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor"

Metonomy

"that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown"

Synedoche

"to fail themselves by their hands"

Fallacy

39. a falsity or misrepresentation of logic

"...having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not..."

ethos & biblical allusion

Deliberative Rhetoric

A Call to Action--concerned with establishing advantageous actions or attitudes in human behavior

Parallelism

"that the harder the conflict, the more gloried the triumph"

Antimetabole

"Enemies in War, in Peace Friends

Hyperbole

"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent "hither" swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance"

Anaphora

"He has forbidden his governors....He has utterly neglected to attend them..

Anticipating an Objection

"Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend and unwarrantable jurisdiction over us"

Alliteration

"Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty

Syntax

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all mean are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

Antithesis

"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly"

Metaphor

"a Prince whose character is marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people"

Warrant

"any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government"

Argumentum a fortiori

"argument from strength"; if something works the hard way, it most likely works the easy way

Loaded Words

"compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny

Alliteration

"conjured connections and correspondence"

Personification

"deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity"

Oxymoron

"patient sufferance"

Parallelism

"plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people"

Claim

"publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown

Tools of pathos

- Belief

3 core issues

1. Blame (Past) - the whodunit

Aristotle's Classical Arrangement (5 parts)

1. Introduction/Exordium - establish character, use bridging

Aristotle's 3 most powerful tools of persuasion

1. Logos (argument by logic) - appeals to the brain of the audience; most powerful logos tool = concession

Style of a talk

1. Proper diction - words that suit the occasion

Ways to get an audience to trust your decision

1. Show off your experience - talk about you experience and why you would be knowledgeable about the topic

7 rhetorical out-of-bounds

1. Switching tenses away from the future

Delivery of a talk

1. Voice

Date Given

1775

3. Get it to act

3 goals to persuade people

Ethos

A moral code or set of beliefs that an entire culture accepts as true

motif

A recurring word, subject or idea as a unifying theme.

Enthymeme

A rhetorical syllogism where the first premise is assumed--sometimes stated, but usually omitted.

Disinterest

An apparent willingness to sacrifice your own interests for a common good

to be persuasive? What appeal does he create?

By "it," he is referring to the need to fight for their freedom. This is an either/or fallacy, and he

Epideictic Rhetoric

Concerned with establishing the noble or the shameful in human behavior and action; praises or blames.

Forensic Rhetoric

Concerned with establishing whether or not just or unjust actions have taken place

Control the issue & control the clock

Control the issue: keep argument on choices that solve a problem

Practical wisdom (Phronesis)

Craft; audience must share you ideas or beliefs on a subject as well as believe that you are capable of making the correct decision in that moment

Decorum

Ethos is an important part; refers to meeting the audience's expectation of appearance and behavior

Pathos

Feelings which influence human judgement or decision making usually accompanied by pleasure or pain

In paragraph 2, what part of the argument is it when he says, "Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope."

He begins paragraph 2 with a concession to the opposition and a refutation. His concession is

III?

He creates an appeal to authority (ethos) in placing God above King George III. He shows the

does truth mean to Henry?

He creates an appeal to authority (ethos)(appeal to the authority of God and appeal to his own

Overall position

He is calling on patriots of Virginia to arm themselves in order to be prepared to fight the British if they do not yeild to some of their demands.

"It is to the vigilant, the active, the brave"

parallel structure

In paragraph 1, Henry says that "different men often see the same subject in different lights." What does the word "light" mean here? Why do you think he uses it?

He literally means that men see the same subject in different ways, but he uses the word "light" to

Paragraph 1: Why do you think Henry begins his speech with the statement "Mr. President: No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as the abilities of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the house. But different men often see the same subject in different lights."

Henry is defending his position as a patriot just as those who hold the opposing view call themselves patriots. This could be regarded as a concession to the opposing view that patriotism is important, but also a refutation to the opposing side who may say that only those who are not patriots would fight the British. He is also showing respect for those who hold opposing views. He introduces his opposing view with the rhetorical shift, "But. . .

rhetorical device is he using? Explain its persuasive effect and what appeal it creates.

Henry is using a Biblical allusion here to create an appeal to authority (ethos) and an appeal to

who is the speaker

Patrick Henry

Bridging

Persuasive device most often used in the Exordium and Peroration

Pathos

Primarily applies to the audience; emotional appeal.

Ethos

Primarily applies to the speaker; ethical appeal.

"Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power."

ethos

"The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle?"

ethos

Exordium

The Introduction to an argument; means "the web" where the audience is drawn in to the argument

Delivery

The act of giving a speech

Virtue

The appearance of living up to your audience's values

Invention

The art of discovering or generating arguments

Kairos

The art of seizing the occasion

Peroration

The conclusion to the argument

Exposition

The part of the argument that gives background information necessary to understand the argument

Confirmation

The part of the argument where the evidence is given

Audience

The person or people who receive the message or argument

Refutation

The section of an argument that examines the merits and demerits (pros and cons) of an opposing viewpoint

Parallelism

This principle dictates that coordinate ideas should have coordinate presentation

Rhetoric

The technique or study or communication and persuasion

Rational Emotional Appeal

This appeal provides the audience with reasonable grounds for the feelings evoked.

"as guilty of treason toward my country, and of an act of disloyalty towards the majesty of heaven, which i revere above all earthly kings"

ethos

In paragraph 2, What rhetorical device is he using when he says, "listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts"? Explain it and discuss what appeal it creates.

Through a mythical allusion, he is metaphorically comparing how the British are saying things to

"We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts."

ethos & allusion

Litotes

Understatement

Passive Voice

Used in rhetoric if you want to direct an audience's anger away from someone; imply that the action happened on its own (no one was in control of that action)

Bridging

Used to create good will withing an audience who may not agree with the argument being presented

Audience

Virginia Convention

Perfect ethos

Virtue (Cause) - audience believes you share their values

Decorum

Your ability to fit in with an audience's expectations of a trustworthy leader

Allusion

a comparison to a person, place, thing, or literary work to represent or symbolize something similar

Rhetorical Question

a persuasive trick consisting of a question that does not need an answer to get its point across

rhetorical question

a question asked with no answer expected. (to make the audience think)

parallelism

a repetition in which words or phrases in the same grammatical form connect ideas

Definition

a rhetorical method for getting a favorite grip on an argument; when definition means something for different groups, no agreement can usually be reached

Paradigm

a rule that you apply to the choice you want your audience to make

Personal sacrifice

act as though the choice you advocate hurts you personally

The reluctant conclusion

act as though you felt compelled to reach your conclusion

Babbling

an arguer's tendency to repeat himself over & over

Amplification

an essential rhetorical tactic that turns up the volume as you speak

Ambiguity

an unclear phrase is used in the argument, and does not support the conclusion

Prolepsis

anticipatory concession, agreeing in advance to what the other person is likely to say

Forensic rhetoric

argument that determines guilt or innocence; focuses on the past

Dialectic

art of investigating or discussing the truth of opinions

"But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and therefore, I hope it will not be thought as disrespectful."

ethos

"It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country."

ethos

"No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism,"

ethos

Purpose of argument

be persuasive not "correct"

"Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss."

biblical allusion

Humblebrag

bragging in a self-deprecating way

"The war is inevitable, and let it come! I repeat it sir, let it come!"

call to action

Loaded Words

can evoke an emotional/cultural response more than the word itself; these can be overstated or inflammatory

Cliche

commonly used phrase

Metaphor

comparison not using like or as

Concession

concede to your opponent's point in order to win what you want

Libertas

considered people free to make choices for a greater good, not themselves

oxymoron

contradictory terms

The advantageous

convince the audience that the choice you offer is the most advantageous to them

Ethos

credibility; ethical appeal

Chiasmus

crisscross figure; mirror image of clauses

Deliberative rhetoric

deals with argument about choices; concerned with the future tense; depends on the circumstances

audience

delegates of the VA convention

Invention

dig up material (logos), figure out what your goal is, then find out what the real issue is

Basic ethos principles

disinterest, virtue, and practical wisdom

"An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us!"

ethos

antithesis

expresses contrasting ideas in parallel grammatical structures

3 kinds of examples to use in inductive logic

facts, comparisons, and stories

Disconnect between proof and conclusion

fallacy logic that results in non-sequitur, the red herring, or the wrong ending

subject

fight

Logos

focus on rational strategy;evidence;proof

Character references

get others to do the bragging for you

concession

giving credit where credit is due

"there is no time for ceremony"

hook

Tropes

literary or figurative devices that often reappear in rhetoric--appeals to patriotism, commonman, love of family, children are the future, etc.

Logos

logical appeal

"Three millions of people, armed with the holy cause of liberty, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us."

logos

"and judging by the past, i wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the house?"

logos

"to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it."

logos & metaphor

"I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience."

logos and biblical allusion

Eddie Haskell ploy

made an inevitable decision against you; looks like a willing sacrifice on your part

L'esprit del'escalier

means inspiration that comes after 1 leaves another's apartment; thinking of a clever retort after the fact

Majesty of Heaven

metonymy

refutation

part of an argument in which a speaker contradicts the opposing points of view or disproves the arguments

"For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost"

pathos

"If we wish to be free—if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending—if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained —we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight!"

pathos

"Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received?"

pathos

"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"

pathos

"There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged!"

pathos

"They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging"

pathos

"for my own part, i consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery."

pathos

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, "Peace! Peace!" — but there is no peace. The war is actually begun!"

pathos

"We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne."

pathos and parallel structure

"But when shall we be stronger? Will it be next week or next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?"

pathos and rhetorical questions

appeal

persuasion in an argument

Epideictic (demonstrative) Rhetoric

persuasion that deals with values that bring a group together; focuses on matters in the present and values

Phronesis

practical wisdom

Disinterested goodwill

presenting an argument in a way that shows you have no personal interest at stakes

Passive voice

pretending that things happened on their own; works to calm emotions because it disembodies the speaker and moves the actors

Dubitatio

pretending to be uncertain so that you are presented as an honest person rather than a master of rhetoric

Perfect audience

receptive, attentive, and well disposed toward you

Reductio ad absurdum

reducing the argument to absurdity

allusion

reference to events, figures, or phrases from the bible. in this selection, biblical allusions have the rhetorical appeal of shared beliefs.

Kairos

rhetorical timing; an ability to seize the persuasive moment

periodic sentence

sentence whose main clause is withheld until the end

Onomatopoeia

sound words

The commonplace

starting from the audience's position rather than your own

Rhetorical deduction

starts with a premise - a fact or commonplace - and applies it to a specific case to reach a specific conclusion

Changing your position

supports what the audience is for; found out new info

Memory

what works to get the audience to remember

Comfort or cognitive ease

when your audience's brain is on autopilot; it's more susceptible to persuasion

Humor

works to stop anger when using right kind

occasion

the meeting of the VA convention before we declared independence

metonymy

the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it

Anaphora

the repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more consecutive sentences.

Repetition

the use of similar or identical phrasing or word orders for emphasis or persuasion.

purpose

to encourage them to take up arms to fight the British

juxtaposition

two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect

tone

urgent, pleading, and inflammatory

Bragging

use it only if your audience appreciates it

Persuasion

use of rhetoric and argument to support your ideas or opinion

Rhetorical Question

used solely for rhetorical effect; asked but not meant to be answered;