Disciplining Rhetoric
Housekeeping
Attendance
Questions?
Responding to your Responses
The Importance of Writing
- Argue well to avoid negative debates and retain positive debates.
- Make your point clear
- More persuasive
- Be inclusive to other opinions, rather than exclusive
- Keep your audience listening
- To get what you want
What do you Want?
- Better able to express oneself
- Better grammar skills
- Citations/References
- New strategies for writing
- Improved reading skills
- To pass
- Confidence
- Brainstorming strategies
- No revisions
- Writing long essays
- To get an A
The Rhetorical Toolbox: Basic Building Blocks for Arguments
But first ... what the heck is rhetoric?
Components of the Enthymeme: The claim, the stated reason, the unstated assumption, and grounds
Famous Enthymemes
All humans are mortal, so Socrates is mortal.
- Claim: Socrates is mortal
- Stated reason: all humans are mortal
- Unstated assumption: because Socrates is a human
The glove doesn't fit, so you must acquit
- Claim: the defendant should be acquitted
- Stated reason: because the glove does not fit
- Unstated assumption: because the glove was used by the murderer and therefore must fit on the murderer's hand
- Grounds: proof that the glove was used in the commission of the crime, proof that the glove does not fit, that the glove has not changed size and shape, that the hand of the defendant has not changed size or shape...
Enthymemes are generally used for two reasons:
- The implied premise is obvious
- The implied premise is dubious
Ethos, Pathos, Logos
Ethos: Character or Image
Logos: Logical Arguments
Pathos: The Emotions of the Audience
Breaking it Down Again: Types of Questions and Claims
The Stasis Procedures
Definitional/Categorial: Is X a Y?
Disagreement over the nature of a thing or its inclusion in a category (occurs when one disagrees over the definition of either X or Y)
- Is Pluto a planet?
- Is abortion murder?
Evaluative: Is X good or bad? Is X a good or bad Y?
Disagreement over values, importance, or worthiness
- Is Bush's surge plan a good option?
- Are wikis an appropriate tool for classroom use?
Resemblance Is X like Y?
- Is Internet addiction like drug addiction?
- Is the Iraq war like the Vietnam war?
Cause/Consequence Will X cause Y? Is X caused by Y?
- Will decriminalizing marijuana reduce crime?
- Will raising the minimum wage increase unemployment?
Proposal
- Should gay marriage be legalized?
- Should teenage murder defendants be tried as adults?
Triangulating: Contexts and Appeals
Assignments:
Due: Second Response 004/Second Response 011 due before 9:00 p.m., Thursday, September 9th.
Reading Assignments:
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