Download Rhetoric and Argument Intro

Warm-up
Can you correct the following citations? Write your corrections
down on a piece of paper.
1. Huckleberry Finn, as the narrator of The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn, begins the novel by claiming that “Mr. Mark
Twain [ . . . ] told the truth, mainly.” (Mark Twain, page 1,
chapter 1).
2. Edna Pontellier’s full understanding of her self-determinism is
shown when she acknowledges that she doesn’t “want
anything but my own way (Chopin 112).”
Warm-up: Citations
1.
Huckleberry Finn, as the narrator of The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn, begins the novel by claiming that “Mr. Mark
Twain [ . . . ] told the truth, mainly” (Twain 1).
2. Edna Pontellier’s full understanding of her self-
determinism is shown when she acknowledges that she
doesn’t “want anything but my own way” (Chopin 112).
Persuasive Rhetoric
and Argumentation
Pieces of an Effective Argument
 A Claim- a clear statement of a position on an issue (think
thesis)
 Eating at McDonald’s is unhealthy, and parents should not let
their children eat there.
 Support- uphold the claim in the form of
reasons and evidence that include three
elements:
 Grounds: Evidence- Eating at McDonald’s
creates obesity.
 Warrant: Assumption/Connection to evidence and your
argument; what makes it warranted/justified- All people who
are obese have health issues.
 Backing: Facts to back up the grounds- Because 55% of
American children are obese, healthcare costs have
skyrocketed.
Pieces of an Effective Argument
 Counter Arguments- Presents, anticipates, and refutes
opposing views; shows why other opinions are wrong
 Some say that eating at fast food establishments in moderation
does not lead to obesity, but the food itself is full of
preservatives, fats, and additives which are unhealthy and lead
to greater healthcare costs.
 Logic- A sound, logical argument and effective language
 Conclusion- sums up the reason and call for action

As shown, fast food is a large contributor to the obesity
problem in America; the government must ensure the
health of its citizens by outlawing unhealthy, fast food.
Identify the claim,
grounds, warrant, and
backing.
1.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Claim: People should smoke
Lucky Strike Cigarettes.
Grounds: Lucky Strike
Cigarettes taste good.
Warrant: All consumers want
the best tasting products.
Backing: Research done by
The Research Laboratory of
The American Tobacco
Company and other
independent research
companies.
What is RHETORIC?
Persuasive Rhetoric Is….
The art of using
language to argue and
convince others to adopt
a position or act in a
certain way.
Arguments generally use...
 Deductive Reasoning-
-General to specific
-Deduce (determine) conclusion from
evidence provided
 Inductive Reasoning-Specific to general
-Infer a broader idea based on previous
examples
3 Basic Persuasive Techniques
 Logos Appeals to the Logic-
Facts and data
 Pathos Appeals to the Emotions
 Ethos Appeals to Credibility of
speaker or Moral
character of audience
Logos- Is it Logical?
 The appeal to the BRAIN using LOGIC, FACTS, and DATA
Information to support the persuasive claim.
Ethos- Is it credible?
Appealing to the values, moral standards,
and credibility of the person who is trying
to gain respect and trust from the
audience.
Pathos- Is it Emotional?
 A majority of arguments in the popular
press are heavily dependent on appealing to
your emotions.
See if you can figure out the Appeal
 Gum
 http://youtu.be/xAVALXH9nxU
 Pepsi Commercial
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40DykbPa4Lc
 Old Spice
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE
 Sarah Mcglaughlin
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gspElv1yvc
 McDonalds
 http://youtu.be/OtWRCIkFl00
 Dove Commercial
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U
 Cheerios
 http://youtu.be/aARf-XwDGFg?list=PL-Oprv9fueW2lG-
LtaZbwe0WWkcncJTSU
Other Rhetorical Devices to Recall...
 Rhetorical question: obvious answer –
“Should we be judged on appearance or rather the content of
our convictions?”
 Antithesis: Contrasting ideas are
expressed in a grammatically
balanced statement.
“Give me liberty or give me death”
 Repetition: Use of same word or
phrase for emphasis
 Parallelism: A pattern from line to line
Logical Fallacies
Errors in Logical Thinking…
Circular Reasoning- Supporting the statement
by repeating the statement in different words
Non Sequitur- A conclusion that does not follow
logically from the “proof” offered to support it
Hasty Generalization- A conclusion drawn from
too
little evidence or from evidence that is biased
Overgeneralization- Statement that is too broad (signal words:
all, none, everyone, etc.). Stereotypes fall into this category.
False analogy- Trying to compare items/concepts that are too
different or unlike in a significant way.
*See page R22 in your textbook if needed.
Logical Fallacies
*See page R22 in textbook.
 Name Calling- Personal Attack
 False Cause- Thinking something is the cause of something else
just because one event happened first.
 Either/Or- Giving only two options (“You’re either with us or
against us!”)
 Evading the issue- Avoiding the argument’s central point by
presenting evidence that is not necessarily relevant.
Propaganda
 Is a form of
communication aimed at
influencing the attitude of
the community toward
some cause or position by
presenting only one side of
an argument.
Persuasive Appeals in Media
 Commercial advertising is one of the
most powerfully persuasive forces in
today’s world!
 So…How do they persuade you?
Think of specific examples and what
made them work.
Common propaganda techniques often
used in advertising
 Slogan
 Repetition
 Bandwagon
 Testimonial
 Emotional Appeal
 Expert Opinion
Slogan: “Can you hear me now?”
A catchy phrase or statement often used to sell
a service or a product.
Bandwagon
 A statement suggesting that everyone is using a
specific product, so you should too
 Persuading people to do something by letting them
know others are doing it
 Gives impression that you will be left out if you don’t
do what ad is trying to persuade you to do
 Example: “See why so many women have switched?”
(Shampoo advertisement)
Why are these examples of Bandwagon?
Testimonial
works because you feel like you can trust the words of an
expert or someone who is famous.
Expert Opinion
 Ads using scientific sounding language to make
a product seem more effective.
 Appeals to the audience’s intellect
 “Four out of five dentists recommend this
toothpaste….”
 “Studies show that….”
Quick Review 1
 Slogan
 Repetition
 Bandwagon
 Testimonial
 Expert Opinion
Quick Review 2
 What are the 3 main Persuasive Appeals?
 What are some Rhetorical Devices that we can look for in
Persuasive speeches?
 List some fallacies…
 What does a good argument need?
Death Row Argument
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Who is Roland Williamson? Who is Anthony Porter? Who is
William Brennan?
What claim is the ad making?
What evidence do the ad-writers use to support their claim?
What is the purpose of this ad? What, in other words, did the adwriters hope to achieve?
What are some possible objections or counterclaims that could be
raised in responding to this ad? By whom might these objections and
counterclaims be raised?
Hypothesize whether or not the claim is effective for the intended
audience and why it might be?
The Parking Ticket
 You work at Carolina Place Mall.You’re working very hard
saving money for college. On January 11, you went to work,
despite a freak snow storm.You pulled into a parking spot,
covered in snow.You return, 8 hours later to a melted
parking lot only to discover your car has been towed. Upon
investigation, you discover that the snow covered a
handicapped parking spot with a picture and blue lines
painted on the ground, but no sign.You paid $250.00 for the
tow and have been given a $500 ticket.