Elements of Rhetoric 7/9/2014 - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Elements of Rhetoric

7/9/2014

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructorSlide2

Definition

Rhetoric

—is the art of using language to

communicate effectively

and has been a major part of Western

education since the Ancient Greeks.

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide3

Appeals in Writing

Three Types of Appeals Exist

These are rhetorical devices used to enhance observations in research papers:

A

. logos— (rational)

B

. pathos— (emotional )

C

. ethos— (ethical

)

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide4

Purposes

These

are similar to the different

purposes

for papers

:

inform, persuade, speculate, entertain,

incite

,

instigate

All three of these purposes (logos, pathos, ethos) can be merged into one paper; the longer the work, the greater the necessity for multiple intentions.

Likewise, just as one essay can fulfill multiple purposes,

one essay can use multiple appeals

; the purpose of the work controls the type of appeal in use.

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide5

Pathos (emotional)

•

When

using a

persuasive purpose

, an

emotional

appeal works best.

Emotional

, personal writing produces a reaction from the audience

.

In this fashion, for personal essays, pathos works best to connect with readers.

When analyzing an emotional appeal, look carefully at the writer’s emotionally charged words and the nature of their use

.

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide6

Pathos (emotional)

When

reading an emotional appeal,

be sure to determine:

• What

emotion is the writer wanting you to feel?

• What

manner is

figurative

language being used? •

Is the audience being manipulated?

• Is

the emotion consistent with the purpose?

• Is the emotion appropriate to the audience, the situation,

and the subject? • Is

the emotion

a

dominant part of the

essay (

which shows a

bias)

or do rational arguments appear the main focus? • Is the emotional material used to clarify a complex argument?

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide7

Pathos (emotional)

Some theorists believe emotional defenses are stronger than logical defenses.

• When used appropriately the audience

feels sympathy to the writer’s cause.

• However, it is best to avoid

loaded language

or

emotionally charged phrases.

• If used incorrectly, the material shown

can be seen as sentimental and forced.

• If over-used, the audience may feel

manipulated.

• Do not over exaggerate in order to build

a sense of empathy.

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide8

Pathos (emotional)

Example of pathos-driven material:

The wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given; and the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and mighty is its course, when once it is let loose. It is true, that judgment against your evil works has not been executed hitherto; the floods of God's vengeance have been withheld; but your guilt in the mean time is constantly increasing, and you are every day treasuring up more wrath; the waters are constantly rising, and waxing more and more mighty; and there is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, that holds the waters back, that are unwilling to be stopped, and press hard to go forward. If God should only withdraw his hand from the flood-gate, it would immediately fly open, and the

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide9

Pathos (emotional)

fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God, would rush forth with

inconceivable fury, and would come upon you with omnipotent

power; and if your strength were ten thousand times greater than it

is, yea, ten thousand times greater than the strength of the stoutest,

sturdiest devil in hell, it would be nothing to withstand or endure it.

— Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

delivered July 8, 1741 in Enfield, Connecticut

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide10

Logos (rational)

Using

a rational appeal

requires a burden of proof, or

claim

.

Academic writing requires evidence

to back

up

observations:

records, statistics, facts, quotes from authorities

Your thesis statement is logos-driven.

Your evidence is fact-based, without an overt bias, shown in clear language.

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide11

Logos (rational)

Most importantly,

avoid

fallacies

:

mistaken logic, based on a flawed argument

Avoid:

• faulty

ad hoc

reasoning

present only one side to an argument

falsify information (fake credentials)

provide weak induction or deduction

red herrings (mislead or distract reader from main point of discussion) or straw man

techniques.

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide12

Logos (rational)

Red Herrings:

see Texas State University

web site for examples:

http://www.txstate.edu/philosophy/resources/fallacy-definitions/Red-Herring.html

Straw Man:

misrepresent your opponent’s view points or draw attention away from your weaker argument by pointing out other issues— commonly used with an audience with limited information on the full argument

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide13

Logos (rational)

Example of logos-driven material:

Mark Anthony:

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

The evil that men do lives after them;

The good is oft interred with their bones;

So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus 5

Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:

If it were so, it was a grievous fault,

And grievously hath Caesar

answer'd

it.

Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest—

For Brutus is an

honourable

man; 10

So are they all, all

honourable

men—

Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.

He was my friend, faithful and just to me:

But Brutus says he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an

honourable

man.

He hath brought many captives home to Rome

Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:

Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?

When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:

Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an

honourable

man.

You all did see that on the

Lupercal

I thrice presented him a kingly crown,

Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;

And, sure, he is an

honourable

man.

I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,

But here I am to speak what I do know.

You all did love him once, not without cause:

What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?

O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,

And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;

My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,And I must pause till it come back to me.—William Shakespeare, The Life and Death of Julius Caesar Act III, Scene IIYet, notice although Anthony begins to seemingly open a logical argument against Caesar, by line thirteen, he shifts to using a heavy pathos-driven value claims to manipulate and incite the crowd against Brutus.

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide14

Logos > Five Types of Claims

Rational appeals utilize different types of

claims

.

1

. factual claim:

declarative sentence that

states

a current reality:

Austin

is the capital of Texas.

a future condition:

The

US plans to colonize Mars by 2030.a past event:Vikings discovered the New World hundreds of years before Columbus

.

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide15

Logos > Five Types of Claims

2. value claim:

opinion based declarative promoting personal feelings or tastes,

detailing preference between two objects, people, situations.

The book

, Ulysses,

is James Joyce’s strongest, and most complex, novel.

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide16

Logos > Five Types of Claims

3. a moral claim

is made on the basis of a

prescribed

code of values

(not necessarily religious

):

Despite

the school board’s intentions,

teaching

creationism in a high school

science

class does not offer a

well-rounded education.

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide17

Logos > Five Types of Claims

4

. causal claims

:

asserts and

defines

causes for an event or situation:

Slavery

was only one cause of the

American Civil War.

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide18

Logos > Five Types of Claims

5. deliberative claim

:

a declarative sentence which asserts something

should

or

should

not

be

done.

Capital punishment is a necessary

deterrent

to crime and should

continue as a part of Texas’ legal process.

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide19

Ethos (ethical)

Ethos

is the most complicated

portion of the rhetorical process

applies

to good debate tactics and public

speakingborders

on philosophical approaches to your particular life

values and at the same time

establishes your tone of authority

—in an honest fashionyou display ethical behavior while presenting the various sides of an argument

avoidance

of

plagiarism or theft of another writer’s ideas

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

7/9/2014Slide20

Ethos (ethical)

An Ethical Writer:

presents both sides of the issue in a parallel fashion; seeks out a compromise between the two sides and allows equal time for different points of view

(see

Rogerian

Method

)

provides multiple resources in accurate fashion to show a sense of authority

when appropriate, supplies credentials as defense

does not sentimentalize the argument with excessive pathos

can challenge other ideas in non-offensive manner

maintains good intentions throughout paper

presents tone of honesty and good-will, avoiding sarcasm, condescension, and bullying

English 1301: Composition & Rhetoric I || D. Glen Smith, instructor7/9/2014