Rhetorical Terms List 3

argument

A claim put forth and supported by evidence

claim

An assertion, usually supported by evidence

claim of fact

a claim that asserts something exists, has existed, or will exist, based on data that the audience will accept as objectively verifiable

claim of value

A claim of value argues that something is good or bad, right or wrong.

first-hand evidence

Evidence based on something the writer knows, whether it's from personal experience, observations, or general knowledge of events.

second-hand evidence

Evidence that is accessed through research, reading, and investigation. It includes factual and historical information, expert opinion, and quantitative data.

Quantative evidence

includes things that can be measured, cited, counted, or otherwise represented in numbers- for instance, statistics, surveys, polls, census information

syllogism

A form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion.

Toulmin Model

An approach to analyzing and constructing arguments:

Because (evidence as support), therefore (claim), since (warrant or assumption), on account of (backing), unless (reservation).

Warrant (Toulmin Model)

explains why the grounds support the claim

• makes connection clear to the audience

• forms the reasoning

Backing (Toulmin Model)

Statements that serve to support the warrants (i.e., arguments that don't necessarily prove the main point being argued, but which do prove the warrants are true.)

Qualifier (Toulmin Model)

a statement that establishes the boundaries in which the argument is true

• modifies claim

Rebuttal (Toulmin Model)

Counter-arguments or statements that point out a situation where the argument is not true.

Reservation [Toulmin Model]

The explanation of the terms and conditions necessitated by the qualifier

classical oration

five-part argument structure used by classical rhetoricians

Rogerian Argument

a modern method of argumentation that tries to find mutually agreeable solutions to problems by seeking common ground, building trust, and reducing threat

Closed thesis

A closed thesis is a statement of the main idea of the argument that also previews the major points the writer intends to make.

Open thesis

A thesis that does not list all the points the writer intends to cover in an essay.

Deduction

the process of moving from a general rule to a specific example

Induction

the process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization

Polemic

a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something

Logical fallacy

An error in reasoning that renders an argument invalid

Ad hominem

In an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning "against the man."

ad populum (bandwagon appeal)

when evidence boils down to "everybody's doing it, so it must be a good thing to do"

appeal to false authority

This fallacy occurs when someone who has no expertise to speak on an issue is cited as an authority.

begging the question

Often called circular reasoning, occurs when the believability of the evidence depends on the believability of the claim.

circular reasoning

a fallacy in which the writer repeats the claim as a way to provide evidence

faulty analogy

an illogical, misleading comparison between two things

Hasty Generalization

A fallacy in which a faulty conclusion is reached because of inadequate evidence.

post hoc ergo propter hoc

This fallacy is Latin for "after which therefore because of which," meaning that it is incorrect to always claim that something is a cause just because it happened earlier. One may loosely summarize this fallacy by saying that correlation does not imply causation.

straw man fallacy

when a speaker ignores the actual position of an opponent and substitutes it with a distorted and exaggerated position