1. Rhetoric

2. Rhetoric…
The art of using LANGUAGE to communicate. Rhetoric is the means by which an author/speaker PERSUADES a reader/audience to a particular action or point of view.

3. Appeals to…
Ethos- Character and CREDIBILITY; can the speaker be TRUSTED?
Pathos- EMOTIONS of the audience; fear or pity are common
Logos- Use/structure of reasoning and LOGIC

4. Types of Logos…
Deductive- start with a CLAIM and then give supporting points
Inductive- start with Examples and then come to a CONCLUSION

5. Terms of Argument…
Claim- What the author is trying to PROVE; his or her position on the subject
Support- Any material that serves to prove an issue or claim; EVIDENCE or examples
Warrant- A general principle or ASSUMPTION that establishes a connection between the support and the claim. (Often unstated)
EXAMPLE:
Claim: My client is innocent of the murder.
Support: My client was out of town when the murder took place.
Warrant: One must be physically present in order to commit a murder.

6. Other considerations…
Diction: WORD choice
What kind of VOCAB does the author use: formal, everyday, slang?
Do certain words have particularly strong positive or negative CONNOTATIONS?
Does the language include any similar words or sets of OPPOSITIONS: light/dark, good/evil, human/animal, etc.?
Syntax/Phrasing: types of SENTENCES, grammatical conventions
How are words organized into sentences and/or phrases: long vs. short, simple vs. complex?
How does the author use punctuation?
Does the author intentionally BREAK THE RULES of Standard English to create a particular effect?

7. Other considerations…
Imagery/Detail
How does the author convey meaning through the use of concrete IMAGES
How does the author portray sense experience: sight, sound, smell, touch, and movement?
Is there a PATTERN of imagery?
Tone: author’s ATTITUDE toward the topic
What is the overall EFFECT created by the previous elements? (Inspiring, enraging)
What is the MOOD of the passage? (Joyful, angry, ironic, etc.)
What is the writer’s/speaker’s attitude toward the the subject, audience, and him/herself? (Optimistic, apathetic, nostalgic)

8. Empathy vs. Sympathy Empathy “an emotional meld” (Heinrichs 85)
You feel what others feel
Empathy shares feelings
Sympathy
Understanding someone else’s emotion without necessarily feeling it
Sympathy is more rhetorical than empathy
Sympathy cares about feelings

9. Emotions & the argument
Emotions come from beliefs—what we think we know and what we expect.
Experience and Expectation
Aristotle didn’t separate pathos from rhetorical logic entirely—a great argument is a combination of emotional and rational points.
Want to change someone’s mood? Tell a story!
Aristotle says the most effective mood changer is a detailed narrative
“Narrative paradigm”

10. Emotions & the argument
When speaking before a large crowd, build trust and then build pathos—let emotion build gradually.
One-to-one argument—logos and ethos should be the strength
Humor = Ethos *
Anger, patriotism, emulation = Pathos
Anger—easiest way to stimulate anger is to belittle the audience’s desire (Heinrichs 91)

11. Framing Helps to reset any disagreement
Sets the bounds of the discussion
Reframing/challenge the frame
Refusing to accept the opponent’s definition of what the issue is about and then substitute your own—define the issues in your own terms.
Commonplace words
Stance
Facts
Definition
Quality
Relevance

12. Exit Slip 3 things you understand about rhetoric
2 things you need more help to understand
1 question you have regarding something we discussed today