The Art of PersuasionPersuasive Media Study Unit

Persuasive Writing

Definition: Writing that takes a position either for or against an issue while attempting to convince its readers to believe the same or act upon an issue.

Rhetoric: The art of speaking and writing

persuasively.

Persuasive Writing is Everywhere!

Newspapers

Magazines

Advertisements

Television Commercials

Radio

Politics

Stores/Restaurants

The Internet

In the Art of Persuasion, your argument needs to have the following:

A realistic (and legal) stance 

Logical reasoning 

No whining, no attitude – choose your words carefully 

Acknowledge concerns or reasons against your position  

Offer a compromise, alternative, or consequence (depending on the topic)

Persuasive Writing Tips

There is more to persuasion, however, than simply having an opinion on

something. You need: - facts and examples to back up those

opinions. - To consider your audience and appeal

to your reader. - To research your topic in order to

establish a strong understanding of what you are fighting for.

- To structure your argument in a way that is easy to understand and follow

Secret Persuasive Tricks… Shhh!

Believe it or not, there are actual persuasive tricks you can use that, when used correctly, prove to be very effective in helping you get your way. These tricks were created by the Greek philosopher Aristotle and are called:

1. Ethos – Credibility of the author

2. Pathos – Appealing to the reader’s emotions

3. Logos – Persuading through reasoning

Ethos = Ethical

The ethical appeal, meaning to convince an audience of the author’s credibility or character.

An author would use ethos to show to his audience that he is a credible source and is worth listening too. Ethos is the Greek word for “character.” The word “ethic” is derived from ethos.

We tend to believe people we respect and trust. One of the central problems of argumentation is attempting to prove to your readers that you are someone worth listening to. To help achieve this, persuasive writers turn to ethos.

Ethos Continued…

Ethos is used to…

- Show you are an authority on your subject

- You are a credible source of information

- You are trustworthy, likeable, and worthy of respect.

Ethos can be developed by choosing language that is appropriate for the audience and topic (also means choosing proper level of vocabulary), making yourself sound fair or unbiased, introducing your expertise or pedigree, and by using correct grammar and syntax.

Example of Ethos:McCain’s Announcement for Presidency Speech"Today, I announce my candidacy for President

of the United States. I do so grateful for the privileges this country has already given me; mindful that I must seek this responsibility for reasons greater than my self-interest; and determined to use every lesson I've learned through hard experience and the history I've witnessed, every inspiration I've drawn from the patriots I've known and the faith that guides me to meet the challenges of our time, and strengthen this great and good nation upon whom all mankind depends.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvZFGdcSlQU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvVNY2YC5zI

Pathos = Passion

The emotional appeal, meaning to persuade an audience by appealing to their emotions.

Authors use pathos to invoke sympathy from an audience; to get them to feel what the writer feels. A common use of pathos would be to draw pity or inspire anger from an audience, or to prompt an action.  Pathos is the Greek word for both “suffering” and “experience.” The word pathetic is derived from pathos.

Along with our credibility as authors, our choice in words too can have an effect on our readers. Using words that provoke emotions within our readers, or appeal to their feelings can have just as strong of an affect as solid facts.

Pathos Continued…

Pathos is used to…- Show you understand your readers’ feelings- That you can relate to your readers - To provoke a desire to act upon your emotions

Pathos can be developed by using meaningful language, emotional tone, emotion evoking examples, stories of emotional events, and implied meanings.

Note: An over use of pathos can however have a negative effect on your argument. (you might sound whiney)

Example of Pathos:Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I Have a Dream

Speech

"I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=NM4pUuvjRBI&feature=endscreen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSNAdo9Czns

Logos = Logical

The appeal to logic, meaning to convince an audience by use of logic or reason.

To use logos would be to cite facts and statistics, historical and literal analogies, and citing certain authorities on a subject. Logos is the Greek word for “word;” however, the true definition goes beyond that, and can be most closely described as “the word by which the inward thought is expressed. The word “logic” is derived from logos.

Logos is the most important of the three persuasive techniques. It is the heart of the argument, the reasons behind your beliefs, and cannot be emphasized enough in your writing.

Logos Continued…

Logos is used to…

- Back up your claims/beliefs with facts and evidence

- Provide examples of what you are for or against

- Provide logical ways to solve the problem you are addressing

- Prevent your reader from being able to argue against you.

Logos can be developed by using advanced, theoretical or abstract language, citing facts (very important), using historical and literal analogies, and by constructing logical arguments.

Example of Logos: Brett Arrends "Is Apple Becoming a Value Stock." on Marketwatch.com June 21, 2011

Apple has come down from $363 in February to $316 Monday. Furthermore, that masks the fact that the company is sitting on a ton of net cash. At the end of the last quarter, cash, securities and other liquid assets exceeded liabilities by $51 billion, or around $55 a share. This may top $60 by the end of this quarter. So the cash-free stock price — the enterprise value of the business — may only be around $260.

That’s barely 10 times forecast earnings of $25 for the fiscal year ending in September. It’s just nine times next year’s forecast earnings. And it’s only around 2.3 times this year’s sales.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29OjCChggKU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD1KUOXJcXQ

Persuasive Movie Speeches

Braveheart:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr_OpFxCx-A

A Time to Kill:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lnRK8QpC14

Scent of a Woman:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKbpLDdw4KU