1. CSU MODULE: RHETORIC

2. Ethos Pathos Logos Rhetoric: Persuasiveness Day 1

3. What is rhetoric?  Rhetoric is…  The use of language to persuade  System of signs used to influence decisions or actions  A way of being human  The communication of meaning and purpose

4. Key definitions Rhetorical Theory: Descriptions of rhetoric’s various functions, and explanations of how rhetoric achieves its goals. Rhetor: An individual involved in the production of a text, usually a speaker or writer. Auditors/audience: Readers and/or listeners who attend to and interpret a text

5. Social functions of rhetoric Rhetoric tests ideas Refines ideas: argument/counter-argument Forces consideration of other perspectives Rhetoric distributes power Personal power Effective speaking and arguing ability Political power Power a matter of who’s allowed to speak

6. Social functions of rhetoric Rhetoric discovers facts Rhetors must seek evidence for claims Discovery of relationships among facts and evidence, which generates new facts Rhetoric shapes knowledge Rhetoric plays crucial role in what is considered true, right, or probable to a culture (equality, racism, justice) Rhetoric builds community Community = Common Communities grow from beliefs held in common Today many fear communal fragmentation Symbol use enables us to communicate and to build traditions

7. Logos = Logic/reason A logical argument Socrates is a man Man is mortal Socrates is mortal You can skip the concept that men are mortal and hopefully your audience already knows because….it’s logic! Does the writer present a logical argument? Yes – the audience will probably agree with the presenter No – the audience will probably disagree with the presenter A really good rhetor can present an argument that is not logical but can convince you to accept it.

8. Ethos = The speakers character Refers to the speaker’s character as it appears to the audience. This deals with the culture or way of life of your audience (society) Appearance, how you speak, your background, education, etc. If you use ethos then you must know your audience and how to get them to trust you. You must portray the types of traits that are most valued within that society. Ad hominem – you attack the character or personality of the speaker instead of attaching the substance of his or her position. (a low blow to the speaker)

9. Pathos = Emotion The appeals of how to tap into emotions Passion, fear, love, desire, anger, pity, Many political decisions have an emotional motivation. Many advertisements for consumer goods aim to make us insecure about our attractiveness or social acceptability. It’s rational to have fear about a story the speaker tells. It puts the audience in the right frame of mind Logos and Ethos are subordinate to Pathos.

10. Get out a piece of paper and do not lose this paper. You will be turning in this paper for credit. Make sure you follow the correct labeling for items (in BLUE)…this will help me give you accurate grades! EVERYTHING must be written in complete sentences! Get out a piece of paper

11. Activity 1  Read/skim pages 2 – 5 in your CSU packet. These paragraphs are a review of what Ethos, Pathos and Logos are.  Highlight/underline any quotes that you feel are important regarding the persuasive devices.  Label on your paper “Activity 1” and answer the following questions… Ethos Questions: 1) What kind of image do you want to project to your audience? 2) What can you do to help project this image? 3) What words or ideas do you want to avoid in order not to harm your image? 4) What effect do misspelled words and grammatical errors have on your image? Day 1

12. Activity 1 Logos Questions: 5) Do you think that logical arguments are a better support for a position than arguments that are based on authority or character? In other words, would you support a policy just because a celebrity or an important expert supported it? Pathos Questions: 6) Can you think of an advertisement for a product or a political campaign that uses your emotions to persuade you to believe something? Describe it and analyze how it works. 7) Do you think it is unfair or deceptive to try to use emotions to persuade people? Day 1

13. Rhetoric Assignment (Please do this on a separate sheet of paper with your group)  In groups and on a new sheet of paper: You must pick one of the following statements and write three paragraphs on it using the three rhetorical devices. One paragraph must use Ethos, one Pathos and one Logos. You can take a different stand in each paragraph (i.e. for or against the statement) to help with the assignment.  All Americans should be entitled to free healthcare.  The drinking age in the United States should be lowered to 18.  Everyone should be allowed to carry a firearm.  Terminally ill patients should be allowed to chose when and how they want to die. Day 1

14. and finish your group work from yesterday! Remember: Three paragraphs (one on each: Ethos, Pathos, Logos) that is meant to persuade the reader on your subject you picked from yesterday. Get in your groups…

15. Activity 2 Look (DO NOT read the article yet!) at the article on pages 8-10. This is an article written by Jeremy Rifkin about animal rights. Surveying the Text Questions: 1) Where and when was this article published? 2) Who wrote the article? Do you know anything about this writer? (Hint: Look at the end of the article.) How could you find out more? 3) The article was published on the editorial page. What does that mean? Day 3

16. Activity 2 The article we are about to read is about animal rights and how animals are much like humans. Making Predictions Questions: 4) What does it mean to have “a change of heart”? 5) What are some common ideas or feelings about animals that people have? 6) What kinds of things might cause someone to change his or her idea or feelings about animals? 7) What are some groups of people who have strong feelings about how animals are treated? What do we know about them? What do they usually believe? 8) What is a vegetarian or a vegan? Do you know anyone who is a vegetarian? What does he or she think about eating animals? 9) This article appeared in a newspaper. What does that mean about the audience? Is this an article for scientists? 10) What do you think is the purpose of this article? Does the writer want us to change our minds about something? 11) Will this article be negative or positive in relation to the topic? Why so? 12) Turn the title (page 8) into a question (or questions) to answer after you have read the text. (Don’t answer it yet!) Day 3

17. First Reading of the Text  Now you are ready to read Jeremy Rifkin’s “A Change of Heart About Animals.” For the first time through, you should read to understand the text. Read as if you trust Rifkin and focus on what he is trying to say. Try to see if the predictions (Activity 2) you made about the text are true. Is the article about what you thought it would be about? Does Rifkin say what you thought he would say?  Read text as a class…. Day 3

18. Activity 3 (Page 11 in packet) Homework for the weekend: First Reading Questions: 1) What predictions turned out to be true? (Activity 2: #10, 11) 2) What surprised you? 3) What does Jeremy Rifkin want us to believe? 4) What are some of the things that people believe humans can do that animals can’t do? How does Rifkin challenge these beliefs? 5) What authorities does Rifkin use to support his case? 6) What action does Rifkin want us to take? Homework for the weekend: - Research Jeremy Rifkin and who he is. Where was he educated? What does he normally write about? - Research one of the studies that Rifkin mentions and try to find out more. Is Rifkin’s descriptions of the study accurate? Bring your Activity 3 and research to class on Monday for credit! Day 3

19. Activity 4 Your second reading should be to question the text, reading against the grain and playing the disbelieving or doubting game. As you read, look for claims and assertions made by Rifkin. Does he back them up? Do you agree with them?  As you read,  Underline or highlight the thesis and major claims or assertions made in the article in one color (or with a double underline).  Underline the evidence in support of the claims and assertions in another color (or a single underline).  Write your comments and questions in the margins. Rereading the Text Questions: 1) What is the thesis of this article? 2) Are there any claims made by Rifkin that you disagree with? What are they? 3) Are there any claims that lack support? Day 4

20. Activity 5 Logos (Logical) Questions: 1) Look at support for major claims and ask “Is there any claim that appears to be weak or unsupported?” Which one and why? 2) Can you think of counter-arguments that the author doesn’t deal with? 3) Do you think Rifkin has left something out on purpose? Why or why not?

21. Activity 6 (Look at your research!) Ethos (Speaker’s character) Questions: 1) Who is Jeremy Rifkin? What is his profession? What does he usually write about? Does everybody agree with him? Do the facts about his life, his credentials, and his interests that you find make him more credible to you, or less? 2) Are the studies that Rifkin mentions accurate? 3) Does Rifkin have the right background to speak with authority of this subject? 4) What does the author’s style and language tell you about him or her? 5) Do you trust this author? Do you think this author is deceptive? Why or why not? Day 5

22. Activity 7 Pathos (emotion) Questions: 1) Rifkin says that Germany is encouraging farmers to give pigs human contact and toys. Does this fact have an emotional impact on the reader? If so, what triggers it? What are some other passages that have an emotional effect? 2) Rifkin calls his essay “A Change of Heart About Animals.” Does this imply that the scientific discoveries that he summarizes here should change how we feel about animals? 3) Does this piece affect you emotionally? What parts? 4) Do you think Rifkin is trying to manipulate your emotions? How? 5) Do your emotions conflict with your logical interpretation of the arguments? In what ways?

23. Activity 8  A common way to respond to an editorial is to write a letter to the editor. After all of your work with this text, you are ready to write a will-informed response to Rifkin’s ideas.  Your letter to the editor should express your viewpoint on Rifkin’s article. What do you personally think about Rifkin’s arguments? Do you think that we need to change the way we treat the animals around us? Or do you think Rifkin is wrong?  Let’s look at two letters to Rifkin on page 21. These might help you understand what your letter should cover.

24. Activity 8 1) What is Stevens stance towards Rifkin’s article? 2) In his first paragraph, Stevens argues that because a predator like a hawk does not feel empathy for its prey, humans should not need to feel empathy for the animals they eat, and that such feelings would be unnatural. Do you agree? 3) Stevens notes that some animals can mimic human speech, but argues that they do not understand what they are saying. What would Rifkin say to this? 4) Is it true, as Stevens argues, that Rifkin wants animals to have more rights than humans? 5) What is Fraizer’s stance towards Rifkin’s article? 6) Lois Fraizer says that pet owners know that animals have feelings and abilities not too different from humans. Do some pet owners treat their pets like people? Is this a good thing? Why or why not? 7) Lois Fraizer argues that Rifkin needs to take his argument further and promote a vegetarian lifestyle with no animal products. Is this a reasonable conclusion to draw from Rifkin’s arguments? Do you agree with her?

25. Personal Response to Rifkin’s ideas presented in “A Change of Heart about Animals” Letter to the Editor

26. Literary Analysis – understanding what you read.  What should I know? You should be able to write a response to a writer’s ideas. & You should be able to integrate quotations into your argument.  Why should I know it? Understanding what you read is an important tool for becoming a better reader. Using quotations is an effective way to support what you write about in your understanding of literature.

27. How does this apply to me? AKA Why do I care?  Even if you never read another work of fiction, nonfiction or articles from a newspaper after high school, you will always be a reader.  Literature is hard, if you can understand it, you can understand anything you read for pleasure, work, school, etc.

28. The Writing Assignment (On page 20) After thinking about your reading, discussion and analysis of Rifkin’s article and the letters in response to it, how do you personally feel about Rifkin’s point? Do you think it is true, as Rifkin says, that “many of our fellow creatures are more like us than we had ever imagined”? Do you think that we need to change the way we treat the animals around us? Or do you think that Rifkin is wrong? Write a letter to the editor of the newspaper expressing your viewpoint.

29. Basically...  In the simplest terms, this is what an essay is: Intro Paragraph – “This is what I believe” Thesis Body Paragraphs – “This is why I’m right” Evidence w/commentary Concluding Paragraph – “See, I told you so!” Restate thesis

30. How your paper will be graded Look at page 25 in your packets Final Draft Points:  4 = 100% = 60 points  3 = 85% = 51 points  2 = 75% = 45 points  1 = 65% = 39 points  0 = 55% or below = 33 points or below (4-1 from Scoring Guide on page 25)

31. THE END!