Essential Question: What power do words have over individuals and societies?

Supporting Concepts

0 Purposes of communication 0 How communication affects social, economic,

and academic opportunities0 Rhetoric and effective literary expression 0 Social media’s role in shaping communication 0 Ethics guiding media and technology0 Effective use of academic language 0 Evolution and change of language

http://youtu.be/Hzgzim5m7oU

Purposes of Communication

0 To Inform

0 To persuade

0 To entertain

Types of Writing:

Informational/Explanatory Argumentation Narrative

Rhetoric

Aristotle (Love this guy)0 Focused on social truths based

on cultural values and situations

0 Gap between our values and what actually exists

0 The gap is where effective language comes into play because we want to potentially change attitudes/ways of thinking

“Father of Communication”

Discussion Point: Why are we influenced by some arguments and not others?

Rhetorical Triangle

Writer, speaker, performer, painterPhotographer, blogger, podcaster, ect

Person or people the rhetor addresses

The thing the rhetor is trying to accomplish with the audience

Everything outside of the immediate rhetorical situation

that will affect the success of the rhetoric

How similar rhetorical situations have been done in the past and how they should be treated in the future.

Expectation for what counts as persuasive in a particular rhetorical situation.

Ground rules regarding what you can and cannot do in a particular rhetorical situation.

Kairos or timeliness of the situationDiscussion point: When we are analyzing a

text rhetorically, what role of the rhetorical triangle do we take on?

Three Rhetorical Appeals

Appeal Brief Definition

Ethos Appeal to Credibility

Pathos Appeal to emotion

Logos Appeal to Logic

Discussion Point: Which appeal do you find is prominent within each rhetorical situation and why?:

1) Academic writing 2) Politics 3) Car advertisement (s)

Ethos=Ethical appeal“A person’s life persuades better than his word.”-Aristotle

0 Audience’s perception of the rhetor’s credibility or authority.

Virtue: Audience believes their values are shared.

Practical Wisdom: Sensible person with enough knowledge to address the problems.

Selflessness or disinterest: Free of special interest as well as genuinely Interested.

Discussion point: as a third party observer, Is it your responsibility to decide if the rhetor is credible? Why or why not?

0Extrinsic: character, expertise, education, experience.

0 Intrinsic: How the rhetor writes or speaks.

Discussion point: What other external and internal characteristics affect a rhetor’s ethos?

http://youtu.be/1PwiljBN5-8http://youtu.be/zOURmWDU8Ec

Pathos=pathetic appeal

0 Rhetor’s attempt to appeal to an audience’s sense of identity, their self-interest, and their emotions.

Discussion point: if a rhetor is trying to convince an audience of middle-class Americans to donate money to a hurricane relief fund, what pathetic appeals would they tap into and why?

Historical Example: Yugoslavia

Following WWII Present day

Logos=logical appeal

0 A statement does not necessarily have to be logical, just appear that way.

0 Use of a claim and offering evidence in support of that claim.

Formal arguments=syllogism

Two types:

Inductive: Specific GeneralDeductive: General Specific

All men are mortal. [Premise]Socrates in a man. [Premise]Therefore, Socrates is mortal. [conclusion]

Discussion point: What is the problem with this type of logic in everyday speaking and writing?

Enthymeme: premises remain unstated(implied) or assumed.

The plague is spread by cats. [Premise]

Begin eliminating the cats. [Premise]

Get rid of the plague. [conclusion]

Historical Example: The

Bubonic Plague during the 14th

century.

Discussion point: did the logic work? Why or why not?

Summary

Rhetoric is:

0 The art of persuasion 0 The study of the art of

persuasion 0 The act of persuasion

Rhetorical Analysis involves two parties: o The rhetor: Party attempting

to persuade o The Audience: the target of

the persuasion

We are a third party observerRhetorical appeals are the three elements to the art of persuasion as defined by Aristotle:

Ethos/Pathos/Logos