A brief review: rhetoricThe rhetorical situation

1.Exigence- the problem, lack or need

2.Audience-readership in position to be affected

3.Purpose-intended effect

Rhetorical Triangle (Aristotle’s Triangle)

Audience

Speaker

Subject

Review cont…Rhetorical Appeals

Ethos- appeal to author’s credibility

Pathos- appeal to emotions

Logos- appeal to logic and reasoning

Review cont…Rhetorical Devices

ToneSyntaxDictionImageryDetail

DefinitionAn argument is a group of claims that lead

towards a particular conclusion, stated in the THESIS.

A thesis is a statement in an argument that indicates what the arguer is trying to convince the reader/listener of. What is the argument trying to prove? Also known as your conclusion.

A claim is a sentence that is either true or false, such as "The student is in the lunch room." Many sentences are not statements, such as "Close the door, please," or “What is your name?"

A claim is a statement in an argument that provides reason or support for the conclusion. There can be one or many claims in a single argument.

Claims must be supported with evidence.

Purpose of ArgumentationAuthor’s Purpose

Exposition- to clarifyArgumentation-to influence belief or actionRefutation-to oppose a position or belief

Thesis of fact- interprets, makes value judgments about ideas/things past/present

Thesis of action-identifies problem, calls for change, tries to make audience do something, focused on future

Thesis of refutation-uses rhetorical strategies to show weaknesses in another argument

Types of Thesis Statements/Conclusions

EXAMPLE

Cats with long hair shed all over the house so you should not get a long-haired cat. I have heard that they also have lots of fleas.

C¹-Long-haired cats shed all over the house.C²-Long-haired cats have a lot of fleas.T-You should not get a long haired cat

A simple way to analyze any argument

Diagram

DATA THESIS/CLAIM

WARRANT

BACKING

RESERVATION

QUALIFIER

Claim (Thesis): the position or claim being argued for; the conclusion of the argument. (You should buy our tooth-whitening product.)

Data (Grounds, Evidence):reasons or supporting evidence that bolster the claim. (Studies show that teeth are 50% whiter after using the product for a specified time.)

Warrant: : the principle, provision or chain of reasoning that connects the grounds/reason to the claim, usually an unstated assumption. (People want whiter teeth.) 

Additional Elements Backing: support, justification, reasons to

back up the warrant. (Whiter teeth=more dates)

Qualification: specification of limits to claim, warrant and backing.  The degree of conditionality asserted. (When used nightly, teeth will shine!)

Rebuttal/Reservation: exceptions to the claim; description and rebuttal of counter-examples and counter-arguments. (May not be so effective if you are a heavy smoker or coffee drinker.)

Be prepared to address opposing viewpoints!

But why?Demonstrates that the author is aware of

opposing views. It thus is more likely to make the writer's argument seem 'balanced' or 'fair' to readers, and as a consequence be persuasive.

Anticipates needs of audience. Introducing the reader to some of the positions opposed to your own, and showing how you deal with possible objections can work to 'inoculate' the reader against counterarguments.

Through contrast, one clarifies the position that is being argued for. 

Approaches to counterargument Strategic concession: acknowledgment of some

of the merits of a different view. This may mean accepting some components of an authors' argument, while rejecting other parts of it.

Refutation: shows important weaknesses and shortcomings in an opponent's position that demonstrate that his/her argument ought to be rejected.

Demonstration of irrelevance: showing that opposing views, while perhaps valid in certain respects, do not meet the criteria of relevance that you believe define the issue. Usually requires some qualification first.