Persuasion and Argument

3 Major Persuasion Methods 1.Ethos- or ethical appeal. We tend to believe people whom we respect. One of the central problems of argumentation is to project an impression to the reader that you are someone worth listening to, in other words making yourself as author into an authority on the subject of the paper, as well as someone who is likable and worthy of respect.

Ethos Example Visual

Ethos Example Written My Dear Fellow Clergymen: While confined here in Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely."...Since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable in terms. I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against "outsiders coming in."...I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here. But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid. Martin Luther King, Jr. "Letter from Birmingham Jail"

Logos 2. (Logical) means persuading by the use of reasoning. Giving reasons is the heart of argumentation, and cannot be emphasized enough. -There are two types: 1. Inductive 2. Deductive

Inductive and Deductive In an inductive argument, the reader holds up a specific example, and then claims that what is true for it is also true for a general category. For instance, "I have just tasted this lemon. It is sour. Therefore, all lemons are probably sour." Deductive reasoning works in the opposite manner; it begins with a general or universal rule accepted by most people ("all lemons are sour") and then applies that claim to a specific example. ("That is a lemon. Therefore, it too must be sour.")

Pathos Pathos is the use of language, examples, diction, or images to create an emotional reaction in the reader. The most common types are anger at a social injustice, sympathy for another's misfortune, or laughter at a humorous or illogical state of affairs.

Pathos in Advertisments

Pathos Written "A brilliant young woman I know was asked once to support her argument in favor of social welfare. She named the most powerful source imaginable: the look in a mother's face when she cannot feed her children. Can you look that hungry child in the eyes? See the blood on his feet from working barefoot in the cotton fields. Or do you ask his baby sister with her belly swollen from hunger if she cares about her daddy's work ethics?"argument

Fallacies of Logic People often try to influence your thoughts and actions. Think commercials! You must weigh evidence and analyze arguments before accepting ideas that are presented. Sometimes those ideas include faulty logic- that is known as a Fallacy. As you read Edwards’ and Heston’s speeches, see if you can identify examples listed on the following slides.

Overgeneralizations Based on too little evidence or evidence that ignores exceptions. Ex: Adults want to deny teenagers their rights, so they impose curfews.

Red Herring Takes a listener’s attention away from the real issue or point. Ex: Saying a teacher is bad at their job when you’re told you’re failing the class. This one attempts to deflect attention from the matter being discussed- like changing the subject.

Ad Hominem Attacking the person associated with the issue instead of the issue itself. Ex: I would never vote for him! He cheated on his cancer stricken wife!

False Dilemma Or the “either, or” Fallacy This is when the speaker or author gives the reader only two options when there are more in reality. Ex: In the U.S. you can either vote for a Republican or a Democrat. Or: Since baseball is America’s favorite pastime, if you don’t like baseball you hate America.

Bandwagon This fallacy encourages listeners to act, think, or speak in a certain way simply because everyone else does. Ex: The entire football team and cheerleading squad oppose the new schedule, so should you!

Author’s Purpose Author’s purpose is the reason or reasons an author has for writing a selection. Authors may have more than one purpose for writing. Author’s purpose can be stated explicitly or readers may have to infer the intent.

Questions to keep in mind for finding author’s purpose: Based on the title, why do think the author wrote this selection? Which words do you think best describe the main reason the author wrote this selection? Why did the author write the article from a particular point of view? How did the author influence your response to the selection?

Questions to keep in mind for finding author’s purpose: Was the author’s purpose specifically stated? Do you think that the author achieved his/her intended purposes? Did the piece persuade you to think about an issue and/or take action? What examples from the text support your conclusions about author’s purpose?

Intended Audience When reading any piece of literature it is important to understand who the intended audience is. Is it for peers? Is it for authorities? Is it for future generations? Is it for enemies or allies?

Persuasive Structure In a persuasive essay the author presents detailed evidence supporting their case. They examine one or more arguments for or against the argument. They present supporting evidence and contradictory evidence, side by side, if possible, and use the supporting evidence to refute the contradictory evidence.