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;