Persuasion CT330-800
Exam #2 Essay Questions
Dr. Daniel D. Gross
Due: Following Week
Pick two questions/statements from the following list and respond to each in no less then
two and no more than four pages. Each response will be worth 50 points. Following the
list of questions/statements, I have supplied sample responses. Please pay close attention
to the following in your responses:
1. Read the question/statement carefully and respond to all its aspects. Partial responses
will be penalized.
2. Respond on white paper, double-spaced with 1” margins on both sides as well as on
the top and bottom, in font 12, use “Times New Romans” or similar style of type.
3. This is a research paper. So, questions that have little substance and may have been
written in class rather than at home will be penalized. Last minute papers often read
as such. Research papers are carefully focused around one idea or purpose, are
carefully organized, and they contain appropriate support from the reading. In other
words, your opinions are welcomed, but answers that are merely opinion and not
supported and couched in the ongoing discussion about the topic you are addressing
will be penalized. You need only use the texts from this course to support your
responses. However, other appropriate scholarly materials are welcome. Time
magazine is not a scholarly source, though it may serve as exemplary material.
4. Each response should be presented in the following form (some exceptions may
apply):
a. Your name typed at the top of the paper
b. Number and copy the question/statement you are planning to respond to.
c. Each response should have at least three main sections. Be sure the section
headings you use make sense given the material they contain. By this I mean,
if you say “Examples” and that section’s material contains no examples or I
can’t figure out what the examples are referring to, you will be graded
accordingly:
-Introduction--the content of which is theory and background summary
-Applications/Examples
-Evaluation/Summary/Critique/Conclusion
1. Read the Dorothy Sayer's article "The Lost Tools of Learning" (on reserve in the
library) and give a reasoned response to her proposal. Is she right on or off regarding
education in the 21st Century?
2. Regarding the movie the "Name of the Rose," what are the major presupposition(s) of
this period of Western history that drives the rhetoric or communication? Given these
presuppositions, if you wanted to win an argument during this period, to what would
you appeal or use to support your argument? Give an example.
3. You have just received an invitation to speak about the need for greater state support
for higher education. What steps would you go through to prepare for the
presentation? Include in you answer a short outline of your speech. Remember the
rhetorical canon.
4. Explain how Machiavelli's rhetoric for political posturing works. Give an example
from modern political life. Then critique the advice Machiavelli gives for publicpolitical-applied rhetoric taken from Aristotle. Is it good, sound, wise, counsel or
not?
5. Explain how Ramus reacted to rhetoric. What effect did his position have on the
divisions of knowledge? Do you believe the effect is good or bad? Whichever you
pick defend your position and make practical suggestions for remedying any
difficulties.
6. Explain how the rhetoric of science operates. Give and example to support your
explanation.
7. Take a modern sermon and show how Augustine's rhetorical theory for preaching is
applied today. Is it? If not whose theory did the preacher use? What was the sermon
you heard rhetorically effective? How?
8. How is the rhetorical effect of Aquinas still felt in modern religious rhetoric? Give
three examples. Does his influence on religious rhetoric keep modern humans from
genuine religious experience? Why or why not?
NOTE: By the way, all the available means of persuasion as you know include the
following: Inartistic proofs and artistic proofs, the enthymeme, statements and examples,
the rhetorical canon, etc. If I were you, I would use these items are identify them when
appropriate in constructing a response.
I.
Sample Exam Essay 1
1. Why did Aristotle view rhetoric as an art that had value? Give two
examples demonstrating how to apply Aristotle’s contributions to the
study of rhetoric.
(I would proceed as follows)
Introduction
Aristotle (384-322 BC) was a student of Plato. The Rhetoric is a reaction against
Plato’s view of rhetoric as well as against the handbooks of rhetoric of that time period.
Aristotle makes two major assumptions that opposed those made by the Sophists and
Plato.
First, he based his rhetorical teachings on probability rather than certainty as Plato
and done. Second, he saw rhetoric as an imperfect art rather than a law-bound science as
the Sophists had held. In chapter one of Book One of the Rhetoric, Aristotle saw four
uses of rhetoric. First, rhetoric presented triumph of fraud and injustice. Second, rhetoric
can instruct when science is of no avail. Third, it makes us argue both sides.
Fourth, it
is a means of defense.
In response to Plato’s commentary on the Gorgias, Aristotle suggests that rhetoric
can be used in an immoral fashion and that it can be used in a moral fashion. His point is
that all good things can be misused.
(If I were really responding here, I would fill this response out a bit.
Examples
(I would then go on to give two examples of the most important aspects of this opening
response. In addition, I would tell the reader prior to the examples exactly would I am
exemplifying.
Conclusion
(Finally, I would add my own well-reasoned critique.)
II.
Sample Exam Essay 2
Daniel D. Gross
CT360 Exam
October 7, 1998
8. Use systems theory from Chapter Three to describe and explain language.
Theory
Systems theory is a general term that captures the theoretical notion that
communication functions as system. A system is a set of things that affect one another
within an environment and form a larger pattern that is different from any of the parts
(Littlejohn, 1999, p. 41). So, a human body can be viewed as a system with various parts
working in interdependence for a greater whole.
System theory has its roots in the writings of Karl Marx and Charles Darwin. The
general concepts central to systems theory are wholeness, hierarchy, ……(Littlejohn, p.
42ff).
A system consists of four things: objects, attributes, internal relationships, and
environment (Littlejohn, 1999, p. 41). (A completion of this paragraph might include a
succinct definition of these terms).
In many ways language can be viewed as a system. (Go on to show how).
Application
As a subset of language studies, syntactics is the study of how signs relate to other
signs. Thus, syntactics can be viewed as an approach to language that has its roots in
systems theory. The objects are the words; the internal relationships are which order do
the words come in, . . .. In the end, all these interrelated concepts work as a whole in
system(s) called sentences, paragraphs, or short stories. (At this point the writer might
fill out the application more fully by discussing other practical notions that systems
theory implies.)
Conclusion
Though it is possible to use systems theory to describe language, the application
can be misleading. I will share four of the central ways that the application can be
misleading. First, Littlejohn (1999) states that systems theory provides no useful
information (p. 57). In other words, though I can explain language as a system, what
knew information about language has been provided. I think none. Second, . . ..