Announcements
• Midterm will be on Monday. It will
cover all material discussed in class
from day 1 through the end of the
week.
• Be sure to review quiz #1 & #2.
– Review in groups.
– See me in office hours with
questions.
Review: Persuasion
Through “Rhetoric”
Use of the _______________ force
of expressions to influence our
attitudes.
(This is in contrast to ________?)
Review: Persuasion
Through “Rhetoric”
Rhetoric tries to persuade
through “________________”
rather than “what is
said.”
29
Review: Persuasion
Through “Rhetoric”
Rhetorical language “colors” a statement to make
it psychologically more compelling. Which of these
words did you circle?
“It’s sick to torture an innocent
creature, yet that’s exactly what these
so-called scientists do when they
perform hideous experiments on little
puppies. Moral sadists! They make me
vomit! They’re no better than Hitler.”
30
Review: Persuasion
Through “Rhetoric”
“little puppies”
31
32
Rhetoric vs. Argument
Rhetoric is the art of persuasion.
An argument seeks to establish
a conclusion.
So is rhetoric bad?
34
Rhetoric vs. Argument
35
This Week
Goals:
1. Distinguish between
rhetoric and argument.
2. Be able to identify common
forms of rhetoric.
36
Common Forms of
Rhetoric
•
• Euphemism/
dysphemism
•
• Rhetorical analogy, •
rhetorical definition,
and rhetorical
•
explanation
•
• Innuendo
•
• Loaded question
37
Hyperbole
Stereotype
Ridicule/
sarcasm
Weaseler
Downplayer
Proof
surrogate
Common Rhetorical
Devices
Rhetorical Devices
• Midterm will be on Monday. It will
cover all material discussed in class
from day 1 through the end of the
week.
Rhetorical Devices
• Euphemism
– Language to make something sound
“better”
•Civilian Casualties
•Pornography
•Prison
•Extermination of a race
•Sexual intercourse with
multiple partners
• “Collateral Damage”
• “Adult Entertainment”
• “Correctional Facility”
• “Ethnic Cleansing”
• “Sleeping Around”
Rhetorical Devices
• Dysphemism
– Language to make something sound
worse.
•Potato Chips
•Older person
• “junk food”
• “geezer”
Rhetorical Devices
Where’s the Dysphemism?
Rush Limbaugh said: “‘The basic
right to life of an animal’ which is the source of energy
for many animal rights wackos
- must be inferred from the
anticruelty laws humans have
written.”
Rhetorical Devices
What’s happening here:
Rhetorical Devices
• Hyperbole
– Overstatement, hype, exaggeration
• “Bob is so generous. He’d give you
the shirt off his back.”
• “I’d give my left arm for the Raiders
to win another Super Bowl.”
• Other examples?
Rhetorical Devices
What device is used here:
“I can’t believe she’s marrying him! You know
how unreliable those hippies are.”
Rhetorical Devices
• Stereotype
– To associate something with a
popular, sometimes negatively held
image of a group (stereotype).
• “Of course she acted that way. She’s a
blond.”
• Dysphemism vs. Stereotype
– Dysphemism is an inherently negative
term that can apply to things, events, or
people
– Stereotype is based on context and
mostly refers to people.
Rhetorical Devices
Stereotype
• Issues:
– Reduces people or things to
“categories”
– Makes it easy for some to come to
snap judgments without thinking.
Rhetorical Devices
What device is used here:
“I can’t believe my so-called doctor prescribed
me medication for my high blood pressure. I’m
just under a lot of stress at work”
Rhetorical Devices
• Downplayer
– To make someone or something look
less important or significant.
– Use words like “merely” and “socalled”, etc…
– “There’s no such thing as global
warming. These self-appointed
experts on the environment are trying
to scare us.”
Rhetorical Devices
What device is used here:
“You should get your family ready for when the
aliens finally attack us. Everybody knows that
Martians landed in Area 51.”
Rhetorical Devices
• Proof Surrogate
– Expression used to suggest evidence
for a claim without citing the
evidence.
– “Clearly she shouldn’t have done
that.”
– “Diet soda is unhealthy. Just check
the latest data.”
Rhetorical Devices
What device is used here:
Rhetorical Devices
• Innuendo
– Suggestive language that implies
something without being explicit.
– “Far be it from me to call my
opponents liars…”
– “I didn’t say Bush invaded Iraq to help
his buddies in the oil industry. I just
said his buddies have done very well
since the invasion.”
Rhetorical Devices
What device is used here:
“What did you use to get rid of that stain in
your underwear?”
Rhetorical Devices
• Loaded Question
– Suggestive question that rests on an
assumption that hasn’t been
established.
– “When did you stop cheating on your
boyfriend?”
– “Hey. Have you stopped beating your
wife yet?”
Rhetorical Devices
What device is used here:
Class:
“Is it true that Earth is the third planet
from the sun?”
Teacher who has no clue:
“As far as I know.”
Rhetorical Devices
• Weaselers
– Language that shows “uncertainty”
to shield oneself from criticism.
• How are these weaselers?
– “This may cure your problem.”
– “Yes. I agree with you in a way.”
– “You may just be the smartest class I
have ever had.”
– Example words:
• perhaps, possibly, tend to, as far as I
know, etc…
Rhetorical Devices
What device is used here:
Student:
“So I guess a 45% on the exam means I
should study harder.”
Fellow classmate:
“No. Getting less than half of the
questions correct is great . You’re a real
genius.”
Rhetorical Devices
• Sarcasm
– Using complimentary language for
the purpose of insulting or ridiculing
something/someone.
– Avoid arguing a position by making
fun of it with ironic statements.
• “John McCain made a great speech
last night. Everyone awakened
feeling refreshed.”
Rhetorical Devices
Language Used to Convey an Attitude
• Rhetorical Definition
– “An environmentalist is a tree-hugging
extremist.”
• Rhetorical Explanation
– “The reason environmentalists won’t let
you cut down a tree is that they want to
put everyone out of work.”
• Rhetorical Analogy/Comparison
– “Your average environmentalist is about
as smart as a toilet seat.”