RHETORIC

What is Rhetoric? Rhetoric is the art of speaking or writing effectively for those who mean to inform, persuade or motivate a particular audience.

The Art of Rhetoric Before we begin to look at examples of rhetoric, we need to first understand the different aspects of rhetoric. We’ll start with the great ideas of the Greek philosopher Aristotle.

The Art of Rhetoric by Aristotle In Athens around 460 BC, democracy began to emerge. As a result, public speaking became an essential skill for politicians in the Assemblies and Councils and even for ordinary citizens in the courts of law. In response, the technique of rhetoric rapidly developed. The philosopher, Aristotle took notice of this and collected his ideas in writing.

Aristotle's Three Offices of Rhetoric Ethos Pathos Logos

Ethos Aristotle’s theory of how the credibility of a speaker can influence an audience to consider him or her to be believable. *For a written article, you need to consider the source info for this! An audience is more likely to be persuaded by a credible source because they are more reliable. For example, when a magazine claims that a doctor from Johns Hopkins Hospital predicts a cure for cancer to be available by 2020, the use of the name “Johns Hopkins” (one of America’s best hospitals) establishes strong credibility.

More for Ethos Add this to your definition of Ethos: Along with relating to the credibility of a speaker, Ethos also has to do with ethics and morality. When evaluating for Ethos, a reader should ask his or herself these questions: -Is it legal? -Is it morally right? -Is it ethical? -Is it fair? -Is it consistent with good values and morals? For Example: A principal wants to ban all the teachers at his school from having a Facebook account because he thinks that their posts can be too controversial at times. Also, the U.S. Supreme Court has deemed that school employees’ Constitutional Rights are not without limitations. When thinking about this issue, do you find yourself asking the questions listed above? This is Ethos.

Pathos Aristotle’s theory that the art of emotional appeals will alter the audience’s judgment. This might be done through the use of metaphors, allusion, story-telling or presenting the topic in a way that would evoke strong emotions in the audience. For example, a car salesman who desperately wants to sell a car might use pathos to emotionally appeal to a buyer. He might tell expecting parents that a large SUV would be a better buy than a compact car because it would provide more space for their future child.

Logos The use of reasoning to construct an argument. The most common example of logos in persuasive speeches is the use of statistics and logic (sound or valid thinking/reasoning). For example, when advertisements claim that their product is 37% more effective than the competition, they are making a logical appeal.

Let’s take a look at an example together… 1.Find the article: “President Obama Cries While Speaking About Children Killed in Connecticut Shooting” 2.Before reading, let’s notice the source information. 3.Let’s read the article. 4.Is this article meant to inform, persuade or both? How do you know? 5.Does this article show bias? How can you tell? 6.Evidence of Rhetoric: Does this article contain Ethos? Does this article contain Pathos? Does this article contain Logos? Give me examples of each. 7.Do any loaded words stick out to you as a reader? Give me examples. 8.What do you think about this article as a news source, overall? Do you think it is a good source of information, or might we want to go to some other sources to find out more about this topic? Explain.

Today’s Assignment Today, you will read five articles on your own and answer the Media Analysis Questions for each article. Write your answers on lined paper.