English flashcards

Aristotle’s definition of rhetoric

The faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion.

Another definition of rhetoric

A speaker’s strategies (both verbal and nonverbal) for nudging an audience towards a particular way of thinking.

The rhetorical situation/rhetorical triangle

A way to think about the specific context that gives rhetoric it’s meaning—depicts the relationship among a speaker, audience, and subject.

Speaker

The person or group who is trying to persuade.

Audience

The person or group the speaker is trying to persuade.

Subject

the topic—not necessarily the argument or the purpose.

Rhetorical appeals

General ways a speaker might approach his audience to be more persuasive. Effective speakers use all three.

Pathos

The way a speaker appeals to emotion. What does the speaker want you to feel?

Logos

The way a speaker appeals to facts and logic. What reasoning makes this text convincing?

Ethos

The way a speaker appeals to character and shared values. It is not just credibility—it comes from the root word ethics. What makes this person worth listening to?

Argument

The position or reasoning a speaker is trying to persuade the audience to adopt. They aren’t always argumentative—sometime they are subtle. Rhetoric is how we make that invitation as attractive as possible.

Other definition of argument

an invitation to a particular way of thinking

Counterargument

Anticipating objections or opposing views by acknowledging some reasonableness to the objection, but then denying the validity of all or part of that overall line of thinking.

Concession

Acknowledging some truth to the opposing viewpoint.

Refutation

disproving the overall line of thinking of the opposing view.

[Although X, Y]

basic formula for making a complex argument by building in a counterargument. Using this formula in your writing will help give your argument traction.

Satire

An appeal to humor (pathos) that makes fun of a viewpoint with the aim of persuading the audience to see how ridiculous that way of thinking is.

(S) in SPACE

SPEAKER

(P) in SPACE

PURPOSE

(A) in SPACE

AUDIENCE

(C) in SPACE

CONTEXT

(E) in SPACE

EXIGENCE

(C) in CAT

CHOICES

(A) in CAT

APPEALS

(T) in CAT

TONE