Download Propaganda and Rhetoric

Propaganda and
Rhetoric
Rhetoric
A method developed by the Greek philosopher Aristotle to
always win an argument. Include all three of these in an
essay or debate and you’ll be the victor.
● Ethos: Credible Sources/your credibility
The language of Animal Farm
● Pathos: Touching the reader’s emotions
● Logos: Using logical arguments/facts to support an
argument
Propaganda
Propaganda
Those who use propaganda:
Information, especially of a
biased or misleading
nature, used to promote or
publicize a particular
political cause or point of
view.
● play on emotions
● supply simple solutions
● confine message to a few
essentials
● use repetition and stereotype
slogans
● refer to science (or celebrities) to
impress
● bully their critics
● rewrite history to suit their purpose
Rhetoric
Ad Hominem
There are many different rhetorical or logical fallacies.
These fallacies create incorrect arguments in logic and
rhetoric which undermine an argument's logical validity or
more generally an argument's logical soundness.
Propaganda often uses fallacies to argue its point.
Loaded Language
Generalities: Linking
positive, general, and
commonly accepted words
(“love,” “family,”
“democracy”) with a person,
group, or cause to make an
audience approve without
careful consideration
“To the man” or “to the
person”
a logical fallacy in which an
argument is rebutted by
attacking the character,
motive, or other attribute of
the person making the
argument rather than
attacking the substance of the
argument itself
Loaded Language
Euphemisms: Substituting
words or phrases with
softer, ‘nicer’ ones to create
a more positive response or
to mislead intentionally
(“senior citizen” for “old
person,” “collateral
damage” for “civilian
casualties”).
Appeal to Authority
Also known as an appeal to
celebrity; using well-known
personalities to endorse a
person, group, or cause. An
appeal to a “higher authority” to
back up the point
Emotional Appeal
Bandwagon: Claiming that an
audience should do something
because “everybody else is doing
it”- this plays on people’s fear of
being left out.
Plain Folks/Camaraderie
Trying to convince an
audience that someone is
“one of them”— this helps to
convince the audience that
they “know how they feel,”
even if they do not.
Emotional Appeal
Fear: Warning an audience
that something horrible will
happen to them if they don’t
take certain action. Other
emotions may be appealed
to as well including: humor,
nostalgia, envy, etc.
Overgeneralization
Hyperbole: An
exaggeration, or
exaggerated statement to
make a point (“never”/
“always”).
Propaganda
Identify: What technique is
being used?
Explain: How?
Evaluate: Is it effective?
Why or why not?
Propaganda
Identify: What technique is
being used?
Explain: How?
Evaluate: Is it effective?
Why or why not?
Propaganda
Identify: What technique is
being used?
Explain: How?
Evaluate: Is it effective?
Why or why not?