ASU ENG 201 Midterm

Rhetoric (Aristotle’s Definition)- a faculty of finding the available means of persuasion (persuasion by available means)

Analysis- detailed examination of the elements or structure of something

Logical Fallacy- Flaw in the structure of a deductive argument that makes it useless

Classical vs. Contemporary argument- Classical arguments follow a strict, linear structure with clearly defined sections, whereas contemporary arguments may be more flexible in their organization depending on the context and desired effect. 

Claims- a statement that someone says is true, or a demand for something that is believed to be due

Deductive- can only lead to a single conclusion, top down (socrates is a man, all men are mortal, therefore -he is mortal)

Inductive-  more variability, bottom up, more than one potential possibility (socrates was greek, most greeks eat fish- socrates likes fish)

Syllogism- a true statement informed by premises, a major and minor (A=B B=C so A=C)

Enthymeme- a logical statement (syllogism) with an implied premise (you two have kissed, it MUST be love)

Evidence- the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid

Qualifiers- words or phrases that are added to another word to modify its meaning, either by limiting it (He was somewhat busy) or by enhancing it (The dog was very cute)

Ethos: appeals to ethics and credibility 

Logos: appeals to logic and reason

Pathos: appeals to emotion

Kiaros: appeals to timeliness 

Telos: purpose or attitude

Hasty Generalization- A conclusion that is not justified by logical evidence (Ex: All sports car drivers are so aggressiveNon Sequitur)

Strawman- Changing your opponent's argument to something they didn't say to try to gain an advantage in the argument (Ex: Brook... We should limit the number of requirements in the Nursing degree program Brendan.... So you want bad nurses graduating at ASU!?)

Appeal to Ignorance- assumes a claim is true or false because there is no evidence to the contrary (Ex: "Unicorns exist because there is no evidence that they don't" )

False Analogy- the assumption that because two things are alike in some respects. they are alike in others (Ex: if we put humans on the moon, we should be able to find a cure for the common cold)

Either… Or Fallacy- the suggestion that only two alternatives exist when in fact there are more (Ex: either learn how to program a computer, or you wont be able to get a decent job after college)

Causal Fallacy (Post Hoc)-a logical fallacy in which one event seems to be the cause of a later event because it occurred earlier (Ex: "I wore my lucky socks to the game and we won, so my lucky socks must have caused the victory”, Assuming that because Y came after X, X caused y)

Circular Reasoning- an argument in which the writer, instead of applying evidence simply restates the point in their language (Ex: students should not be allowed to park in lots now reserved for faculty because they should be for faculty only)

Slippery Slope- The assumption that if one thing happens terrible events will happen (Ex: If you miss one day of school you're going to just give up and be lazy and drop out)

Bandwagon Appeal (Ad Populum)- a claim that an idea should be accepted because a large number of people favor it or believe it to be true (Ex: everybody knows LeBron is the greatest basketball player of all time)

Ad Hominem- An attack on the person proposing an argument rather than on the argument itself (Ex: Jami Chung wasn't born in the 90's, so she obviously doesn't understand hip-hop)

Red Herring- An argument that focuses on an irrelevant issue to detract attention from the real issue (Ex: Reporters are out to get the present, so it's no wonder we are hearing rumors about these scandals)

Appeal to Authority- A person arguing an appeal is not an expert, but acts like they are and provides an "expert" opinion (Ex: Jackie believes the government should lower the tax rate, she's the best known person at ASU, so we should listen to her)

5 Canons of rhetoric – 1- invention (coming up with material), 2- arrangement (decide order), 3- style (coming up with the words), 4- memory (comitting text to memory), 5- delivery (presenting text to audience)

Plato- Theory of Forms asserts that the physical world is not really the 'real' world; instead, ultimate reality exists beyond our physical world, Believed that knowledge comes from thinking about abstract ideas in the ideal world of Forms (AGAINST Sophists)

Aristotle- Believed that knowledge comes from observing and studying the physical world (AGAINST Sophists)

Cicero- believed in natural law, the importance of education, and the balance of political power

Who were the Sophists? Why were they important?- group of itinerant teachers in ancient Greece who specialized in teaching rhetoric, public speaking, and the art of persuasion, essentially providing a form of higher education for young men in exchange for a fee (use of persuasive words that grant one personal power and make one a person of influence in the city)

Relativism vs Universalism- ( t/relativism =winning the argument was the main goal for sophists, relativism/ subjectivity) (T/universalism= with ethics, more focused on a universal idea of truth)

Toulmin Structure- focuses on building a logical argument by clearly outlining a claim, supporting evidence (grounds), and the underlying reasoning (warrant) (**has qualifiers)

Rogerian Structure- prioritizes finding common ground with the opposing viewpoint by acknowledging and addressing their concerns before presenting your own position, aiming to build consensus rather than forcefully persuade