Rhetoric and Persuasive Rhetoric


Rhetoric: the art of communicating ideas.
Persuasive Rhetoric: reasoned arguments in
favor or against particular beliefs or courses
of action

Will engage both the mind and the emotions of
its readers or audience
 Writer needs to show that his or her position has a
firm moral basis.

Examples:
 Two wrongs do not make a right. Why then would
people advocate for the death penalty? If a society is
trying to show that murdering others is wrong, then
murdering one that commits a crime sets a lousy
example.
 What is the moral basis in the above argument?





Clearly states the issue and a position
Gives an opinion and supports it with facts
and reasons
Takes opposing views into account
Uses sound logic and effective language
Concludes by summing up reasons or calling
for action



Logical Appeals
Emotional Appeals
Ethical Appeals


Provide rational arguments to support
writers’ claims
Example: “Declaration of Independence”
 Claim: All men are created equal
 Argument: King George has committed “injuries
and usurpations” that deny those in the colonies
their basic rights. Writers then list these injuries.
(The list of injuries is the logical appeal).

This appeal can be made in two different ways:
 Deductively: Writer begins with a generalization and
then proceeds to give examples and facts that
support this claim.
▪ General to specific
 Inductively: Writer begins with examples and facts
and the reader draws conclusions from them.
▪ Specific to general
 Is the Declaration of Independence inductively or
deductively reasoned?


Appeals to emotion are based on specific
examples of suffering or potential threats.
Often include “loaded language”, which is
language that is rich with connotations and
vivid images.
 Example: “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
 Someone advocating against capital punishment
might detail a specific example of when someone
was exonerated from a crime after they were
already put to death.


Based on shared moral values.
Call forth the audience’s sense of right,
justice, and virtue.
 Two wrongs do not make a right. Why then would
people advocate for the death penalty? If a society
is trying to show that murdering others is wrong,
then murdering one that commits a crime sets a
lousy example.



Elevated Language
Rhetorical Questions
Repetition


Formal words and phrases can lend a serious
tone to a discussion.
Example:
 “The powerful empire of nature is no longer
surrounded by prejudice, fanaticism, superstition,
and lies. The flame of truth has dispersed all the
clouds of folly and usurpation.” – Olympe de
Gouges from “Declaration of the Rights of
Woman”



These are questions that do not require
answers.
Writers pose rhetorical questions to show
that their arguments make the answers
obvious.
Example:
 “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, to be purchased
at the price of chains and slavery?” – Patrick Henry



Repeating a point or word that tells the audience
that it is especially important.
Parallelism is another form of repetition.
Rhythm of writing.
Example of parallelism:
 “We hold these truths to be self-evident: --That all
men are created equal; that they are endowed by
their creator with certain unalienable rights; that
among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness.” – Thomas Jefferson from “Declaration of
Independence

http://youtu.be/k8TgqenWW0I
Identify the problem that is addressed and the
solution that is proposed. Restate them in your
own words.
 Analyze the writer’s presentation of his
argument. What rhetorical tools does he use?
 Analyze the evidence used to support the
argument. What facts support the writer’s
opinion?
 Consider how the writer appeals to logic,
emotions, and ethics of his audience.
 Evaluate the credibility of Atticus. What
motivations might lie behind it?
