Download Chapter 3 (b)

Chapter 3 (b)
3b
Aristotle’s three essential qualities of a persuasive ethos…
1) Virtue—the audience believes you share their values.
2) Practical Wisdom—you have ‘street-smarts’
3) Selflessness/disinterest—the audience seems to be your primary
concern.
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“When you seem to share your audience’s values, they believe you will
apply them to whatever choice you help them make.”
Ethos (credibility to the audience, fitting in) works in defined groups.
Credibility is limited to the topic at hand.
Practical Wisdom—The audience believes that you have the ability and
authority to solve the problem.
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Today, many people use the words “disinterested” and “uninterested”
interchangeably.
What is the difference?
Why is it important for ethos for a speaker to appear to be beholden to
no special interests?
Can you think of examples?
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Ethos and Special Interests—
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iCLhyfC3_8
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Advice from Cicero…
“Seem to deal reluctantly with something you are really eager to
prove.”
(Act as if you felt compelled to reach your conclusion, despite your own
desires. Make it sound as if you reached your conclusion after
confronting overwhelming evidence.)
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Cicero said that you want your audience to be…
-attentive
-trusting
-willing to be persuaded
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Your audience will be interested when they find you worthy of their
attention.
Therefore, model ‘virtue’, ‘practical wisdom’ and ‘good will’.
Remember…it is important that your audience thinks you have these
attributes. They must be made aware of them; for, if you have them but
they are unknown…your ethos is poor!
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“Make it seem as if you have no tricks”
“A speaker might choose to feign helplessness by pretending to be
uncertain how to begin or proceed with his speech. This makes him
appear, not so much as a skilled master of rhetoric, but as an honest
man.”
The Romans called this **dubitatio** (do not look tricky; seem to be in
doubt about what to say)
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Modern persuasion research confirms Quintilian’s theory—
-a knowledgeable audience tends to sympathize with a clumsy speaker
and even mentally argue his case for him.
George W. Bush and his “Bushisms”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV4lJr6AhJA
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“Modern persuasion research confirms Quintilian’s dubious theory: a
knowledgeable audience tends to sympathize with a clumsy speaker
and even mentally argue his case for him. Dubitatio also lowers
expectations and causes opponents to ‘misunderestimate’ you, as Bush
puts it. Lincoln’s country-bumpkin image disguised a brilliant political
analyst who could speak lucidly about the issues. His ‘ethos’ made the
audience trust his sincerity while doubting his intellect—until he
showed them his intellect.”
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Remember—
The persuader bears not only the burden of proof, but emotion as well.
An argument can’t be rhetorically pathetic unless it is sympathetic.
(What is the common connotations of ‘pathetic’? Explain.)
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Aristotle said emotions come from belief—about what we value, what
we think we know, and what we expect.
He didn’t separate ‘pathos’ from rhetorical logic.
It may sound strange to combine the emotional and the rational, but
rhetoric does precisely that.
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Aristotle said that one of the most effective mood changers is a
detailed narrative.
The more vivid you make the story, the more it seems like a real
experience, and the more your audience will think that it could happen
again.
People love anecdotes (little stories). They illustrate your meaning.
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“In deliberative argument, you need to convince your audience that the
choice you offer is the most advantageous…
…to the advantage of the audience, that is, not you.
The advantageous is an outcome that gives the audience what it
values.
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“Aristotle maintained that the person most affected by a decision
makes the best judge of it.”
“The diner is more qualified to judge a dish than the chef.”
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“Before you begin an argument, first determine what your audience is
thinking.”
“The common sense of your audience is square one—the beginning
point of your argument.”
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“To shift people’s point of view, start from their position, not yours.”
In rhetoric, this is called a commonplace.
…a viewpoint your audience holds in common.
Use it as your argument’s jumping-off point.
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“We equate commonplace with cliché, but the term once had a
broader connotation.”
“The rhetorical commonplace is a short-form expression of common
sense or public opinion.”
“Commonplaces represent beliefs or rules of thumb, not facts.”
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A commonplace must be ‘about’ something…
“I’m hungry.” X
“When I’m hungry, I eat right away.” O
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“A commonplace takes advantage of the way humans process
information.”
“It’s an argument shortcut that skips what prevailing wisdom already
agrees with.”
“The early bird gets the worm” vs. “People who get out of bed…”
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“Commonplaces are the sorts of things everybody knows.”
“When you stop hearing one, you know that the common ground of
public opinion is beginning to shift.”
“Don’t switch horses midstream” and the second Gulf War.