1. THE ART OF RHETORIC
Tools of Persuasion

2. Rhetoric… The art of speaking or writing effectively.
According to Aristotle, a renowned Greek philosopher, rhetoric is "the ability, in each particular case, to see the available means of persuasion."

3. Ethos
Ethical Appeal
Building credibility and trustworthiness by being…
fair
open-minded
honest
knowledgeable about the subject matter

4. Logos Logical Appeal: Building ample support by using… FACT!
logic (reasoning)*
numbers
facts
data
surveys
studies
research
FACT!

5. Pathos Emotional Appeal
Depending on the intent, writers may use fear, anger, or joy to sway their readers.
Purposeful word choices and phrasing create a dramatic, climactic, or saddening mood.

6. Breaking It Down to the specifics…
Repetition
Purposely repeating words or phrases for emphasis.
Parallelism
Using similar sentence structures for emphasis and flow.
Example:
“Now one of the first things we notice about this dream is an amazing universalism. It does not say some men, it says all men. It does not say all white men, but it says all men which includes black men. It doesn’t say all Protestants, but it says all men which includes Catholics. It doesn’t say all Gentiles, it says all men which includes Jews…”

7. Rhetorical Question Asking a question to which no answer is required.
Answer is implied and obvious, leaving the reader with no choice but to agree.
Example:
“How can one avoid being depressed when he sees with his own eyes evidences of people by the millions going to bed hungry at night?”

8. Figurative Language
Using personification, hyperbole, irony, similes, metaphors, sarcasm, or analogies for desired emphasis.
Example:
"This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity."

9. Appeal to Authority/Testimonial/Name-Dropping
Mentioning an important event or person, or quoting a person of significance to gain credibility for an argument.
Example:
“From difficult, crippling, oppressive circumstances, George Washington Carver rose up and carved for himself an imperishable niche in the annals of science… These are just few examples, inspiring examples to refute the idea of the biological inferiority of the Negro.”

10. Bandwagon
Persuading others by suggesting that most others are in agreement as well.
Example:
“‘No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main’… This is the first challenge and it is necessary to meet it in order to move on toward the realization of the American Dream, the dream of men of all races, creeds, national backgrounds, living together as brothers.”

11. Rebuttal
Anticipating the opposing view by offering the counterargument.
Gains credibility and negates “other side.”
Example:
“There have been those individuals who have argued that the end justifies the means… Immoral means cannot bring about moral ends. And so the nonviolent philosophy makes it possible for individuals to work to secure moral ends through moral means.”

12. Persuasion Used in Commercials and Ads
After viewing each clip, answer the following:
What type of appeal is being used?
(emotional, logical, ethical, or a combination of these)
To what audience(s) does this appeal?
What specific tools of persuasion are being used to sway the audience?
(repetition, parallelism, rhetorical questions, figurative language, appeal to authority/testimonial/name-dropping, bandwagon, rebuttal, or a combination of any)

13. Old Spice

14. Animal Abuse

15. Oral B Toothbrush

16. Speeding

17. Anti-Smoking Ad

18. Anti-Bullying Ad

19. Direct TV – Football on Your Phone