Persuasion and appeals

persuasion

altering the thinking and behavior of others toward your ends

appeal

the request associated with persuasion

Appeals via…

argument

reasoned claims supported by evidence

emotion

feelings of fear, pity, joy, etc.

(We’ll discuss arguments further in the next class.)

Aristotle’s On Rhetoric (440 BCE)

“Rhetorical triangle”

• ethos: character traits (e.g., qualifications & trustworthiness), demonstrated via
  • phronesis: practical wisdom or prudence
  • arete: moral virtue, or being a good person
  • eunoia: goodwill toward the audience (Gunn 2017, loc. 441)
• logos: reasoning and structure
• pathos: feelings

Mnemonic??

. . .

an ethical character, being logical, but feeling pathetic

Rhetoric & ethics

• Plato believed sophists were deceptive and immoral.
• Aristotle argued ethical rhetoric was dependent on the character of the speaker; he was wary of emotional appeals.

Appeals

Gunn speaks of appeals to emotions and needs;

let’s look at the science of persuasion.

Exercise

• In groups of 3-4 people,
• choose something you’d like to persuade people of and
• outline a persuasive speech.

1. What is the mnemonic for Aristotle’s triangle of speech?
2. What are the techniques?
3. What are Cialdini’s techniques?