APLang Final

Rhetoric

The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, often involving the use of various rhetorical devices.

Rhetorical Analysis

The examination and evaluation of how an author uses rhetorical strategies and devices to achieve their purpose and persuade an audience.

Text

Any written, spoken, or visual representation that conveys meaning and can be analyzed or interpreted.

Rhetorical Situation

The general context in which communication occurs, including context, setting/occasion, exigence, purpose, audience, writer, and message.

Context

The circumstances, background, or setting in which a piece of writing or speech occurs, including historical, social, cultural, and political factors.

Exigence

The specific issue or problem that prompts a writer to create a particular text or engage in a specific discourse.

Occasion

The specific circumstances and events that necessitate the text.

Purpose

The reason or goal behind a piece of writing or speech, such as to inform, persuade, entertain, or inspire.

Rhetorical/Aristotelian Triangle

The relational structure of writer/speaker, audience, and subject, illustrating the importance of balance in these components.

Audience

The intended recipients or readers of a piece of writing or speech.

Speaker/Writer

The person delivering the speech or writing the text being analyzed.

Ethos

One of Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals, referring to the credibility, trustworthiness, and authority of the speaker or writer.

Pathos

One of Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals, appealing to the emotions and feelings of the audience to create a persuasive effect.

Logos

One of Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals, utilizing logic, reason, and evidence to support the speaker or writer's argument.

Tone

The author's attitude or feeling towards the subject matter conveyed through the choice of words, imagery, and overall style.

Style

The distinctive manner in which a writer or speaker uses language and rhetorical devices to convey meaning and create a particular effect.

Diction

The author's choice of words and vocabulary, including both individual word choices and overall language patterns.

Syntax

The arrangement and structure of words and phrases in a sentence or text, including sentence length, sentence type, and grammatical patterns.

Imagery

The use of vivid and descriptive language that appeals to the senses to create mental images and evoke emotions.

Figurative Language

The use of words or expressions with meanings that are different from their literal interpretations, such as metaphors, similes, and personification.

Rhetorical Devices

Techniques or patterns of language used to achieve specific effects, such as repetition, parallelism, irony, hyperbole, and rhetorical questions.

Appeals

The various strategies employed to persuade an audience, including logical, emotional, and ethical appeals.

Counterargument

An opposing viewpoint or argument that challenges the speaker or writer's main position or claim.

Structure

The organization and arrangement of ideas, paragraphs, and sections within a piece of writing or speech.

Syllogism

A logical argument consisting of two premises and a conclusion, often used to support a larger argument.

Claim

A statement or assertion that someone presents as true or valid.

Evidence

The information, data, or examples used to support a claim.

Reasoning

The process of using logical thinking and evidence to support or refute a claim.

Refutation

The act of disproving or discrediting a counterargument.

Persuasion

The act of convincing or influencing others to adopt a particular belief or take a certain course of action.

Fallacy

A mistaken or deceptive argument or reasoning that weakens an argument's validity.

Counterclaim

A claim made by the opposing side of an argument that challenges the original claim.

Logical Fallacies

Flawed or faulty reasoning that weakens an argument, such as ad hominem attacks, straw man arguments, or false cause-and-effect relationships.

Formal Fallacy

A formal fallacy is an error in reasoning that results from an invalid structure/form. For example, affirming the consequent and denying the antecedent are two common formal fallacies.

Informal Fallacy

An informal fallacy is a type of flawed reasoning that pertains to the content, context, or presentation of an argument rather than its logical structure.

Red Herring

Introducing irrelevant information into the argument to distract from the issue at hand.

Ad Hominem

Attacking the character of a person making the argument instead of addressing the argument itself.

Straw Man

Distorting or exaggerating an opponent's argument, making it easier to attack.

Either/Or Fallacy AKA False Dilemma

Presenting only two options as if they are the only possible choices, when in reality, other options exist.

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc

Assuming that because one event follows another, the first event must have caused the second.

Correlation does not imply causation

A mantra indicating that correlation between two variables does not necessarily mean that one causes the other.

False/Faulty Analogy

Making a comparison between two things that are not sufficiently similar in relevant aspects, leading to a flawed conclusion.

Hasty Generalization

Making a broad claim based on insufficient or unrepresentative evidence.

Appeal to Authority

Citing an authority in a particular field as evidence for the truth of a claim without critically examining the authority's qualifications or the relevancy of their expertise.

Appeal to Emotion

Leveraging emotional responses as a substitute for a well-reasoned argument.

Slippery Slope

Arguing that a particular action will inevitably lead to a series of undesirable events without providing adequate evidence for this chain of events.

Circular Reasoning

Where the conclusion is used as a premise, making the argument self-referential and devoid of persuasive power.

Begging the Question

Assuming the truth of the conclusion within one or more of the premises, thus making the argument tautological.

Concession

Acknowledging or accepting a valid point made by the opposing side in an argument.

Inductive Reasoning

Reasoning that uses specific observations or examples to draw a general conclusion.

Deductive Reasoning

Reasoning that starts with a general statement or premise and applies it to a specific situation to draw a conclusion.

Logical Appeals

The use of logical reasoning, evidence, and sound arguments to persuade an audience.

Validity

Logical validity refers to a property of an argument in logic, specifically in formal deductive reasoning.

Soundness

Logical soundness refers to a property of an argument in logic where the argument is not only logically valid but also has true premises.

Modus Ponens

Modus ponens is a valid deductive argument form in classical logic.

Modus Tollens

A valid deductive argument form in classical logic that allows one to derive a conclusion from two premises: If A, then B; Not B; therefore, not A.

Synthesis

The process of combining information from multiple sources to create a new understanding or perspective on a topic.

Thesis Statement

A clear and concise statement that presents the main argument or claim of an essay or research paper.

Argumentation

The act of presenting arguments, reasoning, and evidence to support a particular viewpoint or claim.

Source

A book, article, website, or any other reference material used to gather information for research or writing.

Annotated Bibliography

A list of sources with brief descriptions or summaries that evaluate their relevance, reliability, and usefulness for a specific project or research.

Rebuttal

A response to a counterargument that offers evidence or reasoning to refute or weaken it.

Integration

The act of incorporating evidence from sources smoothly and effectively into one's own writing or argument.

Credibility

The quality of being trustworthy, reliable, and believable.

Bias

Prejudice or a tendency to favor a particular viewpoint, which can affect the objectivity and reliability of information.

Annotation

Adding explanatory notes or comments to a text, which can help clarify or analyze its content.

Plagiarism

Presenting someone else's ideas, words, or work as your own without proper attribution or acknowledgment.

Organization

The structure and arrangement of ideas and information in a written piece.

Cohesion

The logical and smooth flow of ideas and transitions within a written piece.