Rhetoric Unit 1 - Juniors

The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing. RHETORIC The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing.

To make you a better voter! Why do we need it? To make you a better voter! Politicians and the media lie so much that it is hard to tell what is real or reliable Understanding rhetorical devices helps you to tell who is being honest

To protect you from those that want to control you! Why do we need it? To protect you from those that want to control you! See through the tricks behind advertising Understand why certain legislature is worded the way it is

To make you a better debater! Why do we need it? To make you a better debater! Win the “where should we go for lunch argument” more often Convince that person to go out with you Get that job over someone that is more qualified

To make you influential! Why do we need it? To make you influential! Convince your teacher to give you more time Convince your sibling to do your chores Get that neighbor kid to poke at that bee hive for your entertainment

To protect your money and make you a more informed consumer Why do we need it? To protect your money and make you a more informed consumer Companies see you as a dollar sign and nothing else. See through their lies and their attempts to use rhetoric against you Understand which products are useful and which one’s you have been tricked into using

The 3 types of persuasion Ethos – an appeal to ethics Pathos – an appeal to emotions Logos – an appeal to logic

Ethos In using ethos, the speaker/writer establishes that they are: Credible Experienced Unbiased Caring and thoughtful Respected

Pathos In using pathos, the speaker/writer attempts to pull some or all of the following emotions from the audience: Love Fear Anger Amusement Sympathy or empathy

Logos In using logos, the speaker/writer uses: Logic and reason Statistics Facts

Dispositio (arrangement) Elocutio (style) Memoria (memory) The 5 Steps to Rhetoric Inventio (invention) Dispositio (arrangement) Elocutio (style) Memoria (memory) Actio (delivery)

1. Inventio (invention) During “invention,” one comes up with the best possible method of persuasion for their particular argument. Here, the goal is to brainstorm ideas on what you are going to say and how it will be said it in order to persuade the audience in the most effective way possible.

Things to Consider During Invention What is the main goal? Who are you trying to convince (who is your audience?) What type of evidence is needed Which persuasion techniques should be used (ethos, pathos, logos?) What is the best format for my argument?

2. Dispositio (arrangement) Arrangement is how one organizes information in a speech or piece of writing. During this process, one must decide the best way for the audience to receive the information.

Parts of a speech/piece of writing Introduction (set up the goal of the speech) Get your audience’s attention (quote, facts, humor, question, story, etc.) Establish credibility (personal connection to topic, use language that suits the audience, dress well, confidence)

Parts of a speech/piece of writing 2. Summary of the Issue (explain the topic to the audience) Inform the audience of the history of the issue Convince the audience that there is a serious problem that needs to be fixed

Parts of a speech/piece of writing 3. Outline of argument Effective thesis statement (must embody the entire argument)

Parts of a speech/piece of writing 4. Proof (the meat; the arguments and the evidence that supports them) This is where logos matters; use sound logic Make sure your sources are credible Watch out for fallacies (false logic)

Parts of a speech/piece of writing 5. Refutation (address the weaknesses of the argument) Address any counterarguments on your own terms Establish ethos by showing you are capable of seeing both sides of the argument

Parts of a speech/piece of writing 6. Conclusion (memorable summary of the argument) Restate the major points of the argument PATHOS, PATHOS, PATHOS!

3. Elocutio (style) The first element that is important to style is correctness. To be an effective speaker/writer, one must, in most cases, follow the rules of one’s language. This adds credibility (ethos) to the presenter.

3. Elocutio (style) The second element of style is clarity. Use language that a 8th grader can understand Avoid the passive voice (BAD = “he was slapped by his wife” GOOD = “his wife slapped him”)

3. Elocutio (style) Another rule for clarity is to keep everything short. This goes for words, sentences, and paragraphs. Don’t use long, intellectual words if they aren’t necessary. Try not to use complex sentences with multiple clauses. Make sure each paragraph contains only one idea.

3. Elocutio (style) The third element of style is evidence. Unlike traditional evidence (facts,) evidence of style deals with vivid descriptions that evoke a good deal of emotion (pathos) from your audience. Avoid stats (“pollution kills 100 dolphins a year.”) Use descriptions (“certain pollutants are known to cause birth defects in dolphins.”)

3. Elocutio (style) The fourth element of style is ornateness. This involves the use of creative language. Alliteration – repeated sounds or letters within the same sentence Onomatopoeia – words that resemble actual sounds (Bang, Boom) Simile – a comparison that uses “like” or “as” Metaphor – comparing to unlike things

3. Elocutio (style) The fifth element of style is propriety. Simply put, this means saying the appropriate things at the appropriate time. If a topic is sensitive, it would not be a good idea for the speaker/writer to crack tasteless jokes. Nor would it be good to pull at an audience’s emotions with an overly gory story.

4. Memoria (memory) Memorizing a speech or the key points of a paper is crucial to delivering one’s message effectively.

4. Memoria (memory) Why memorize? Be able to speak to the audience with confidence, maintaining as much eye contact as possible. Appear to your audience that you know what you are talking about (ethos.) Add the proper emotion or inflection when appropriate. Answer any questions your audience may have with confidence and speed.

4. Memoria (memory) How to memorize: Use Mnemonic devices (memorization techniques like the Loci method.) Like actors, attach emotion and body movements to the speech and you give it. Practice, practice, practice!

5. Actio (delivery) Know when to pause Pauses can add drama to your speech They can give your audience a chance to take in what you just said They can provide the speech with a proper pacing

5. Actio (delivery) Use proper body language Your posture should match the tone you are trying to set Eye contact will engage your audience The way you walk around on stage can also engage an audience more

5. Actio (delivery) Vary your tone Use voice inflection to convey various messages to your audience. Sarcasm Emotion Asking a question Excitement

Enunciate and speak with volume! 5. Actio (delivery) Enunciate and speak with volume!

Fallacies (false arguments) Red herring: this type of fallacy that creates a distraction, taking the attention away from the true topic. Example: I know I haven’t finished my reading assignment, but I had some questions to ask you about my essay.

Fallacies (false arguments) 2. Slippery slope: a fallacy that claims that a small change in something will set off a chain of events that will lead to something more drastic. Example: If I let one person go to the office for something, pretty soon everyone will be leaving the class.

Fallacies (false arguments) 3. Ad hominem: a fallacy in which a person’s character is attacked instead of their argument. Example: Why should we believe Cadena, he is from Texas.

Fallacies (false arguments) 4. Straw man: a fallacy in which a person attacks a position their opponent doesn’t support, making it look like the opponent does support it. Example: He doesn’t really like you, he just wants you for your money.

Fallacies (false arguments) 5. Appeal to authority: an argument that is attached to some important person, rather than any actual logic. Example: Peyton Manning eats Papa John’s, so it must be good.

Fallacies (false arguments) 6. Appeal to tradition: claiming an argument is true because it has been believed to be so for a long period of time. Example: Spanking our kids is the right way to raise them; we have done it throughout history.

Fallacies (false arguments) 7. Appeal to emotion: using emotion or fear instead of reason. Example: Buy this cleaning product because you love your kids and you don’t want them to get germs.