Argument Vocab

Aristotle's rhetorical triangle

● The study and art of using language effectively.

The rhetorical triangle sets out the guidelines for persuading someone:

Pathos-Appeals to your feelings.Ex. "My dog just died so I couldn't do my homework!" Ethos- Appeals to someones sense of honesty or authority.Ex. "I swear on my life that is the truth." Logos- Appeals to someone's sense of logic.Ex. I didn't have internet so i couldn't do my homework on google docs.

Argument

- verbal opposition; a process of reasoning or disagreement where different point of view are expressed. ● Ex. Explaining to a parent that your curfew should be

later. ● Often used in debates, judicial trials, and in simple

everyday communication. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y

Evidence

- proof of something that can prove or disprove a point of view. It is the basis of stressing or asserting a standpoint.● Ex. Cookies were stolen from a cookie jar.

All that is left is a chocolate fingerprint on the table.

Warrant

-authorization or justification to do something. Warrants are only granted when there is strong suspision or evidenc.● Ex. A mom going into her child's bedroom

without permission. Her justification is that she is a mother(it may also be her house).

● Warrants allow police to access personal property.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nt4Lujk9NE

"Warrant" Well I've been judged I've been a bug unknownI know all about it but my heart is strong I've been away been running to save my headYeah the warrant's out and I'm almost deadI won't say what I've already said [x2:]Got to get awayYeah, the warrants on my headGot to get awayThey want me alive or dead I've thought a lot about the way that they fightCome through the phone lines, not man enough to face me

I can stop or argue about what they sayYeah the warrant's out and I'm not gonna payI said what I'm gonna say [x2:]Got to get awayYeah, the warrants on my headGot to get awayThey want me alive or dead Fear is like a fake friendIt warms you up and takes you inYou mouth the words but no sound comes out Fear is like your best friendManipulates and takes you inYou mouth the wordsNo sound again

But you don't know betterYou don't know better [x4:]Got to get awayYeah, the warrants on my headGot to get awayThey want me alive or dead

Rhetoric

-the study or ability to use effective language or means of persusion; the use of prose instead of verse. ● Ex. When you consider all the cons, it seems

to me that all the pros out weigh them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Dtmhk6vJw

Speaker

-a person who communicates in a formal way with a sometimes large audience.-The speaker hold the audience's attention during an arguement, debate, etc.● Ex. The president making his inauguration

speech to the United States upon entering office as the president to let people know what he has done and what he is going to do.

Context

-parts of a written or spoken body of words that surround a particular event, situation, etc.● Ex. I go to the gym every morning.

Sometimes it is cold, sometimes it is not. I enjoy running on the track. The gym is the best!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK7P7uZFf5o

Confirmation

-to make a words certain; something that supports, validates, or verifies the subject or concept.● Ex. Yes, we are going to school tomorrow.

-a statement or argument based on a false or invalid inference

Fallacy

Fallacy Continued...

-a course of action that seems to lead inevitably from one action or result to another with unintended consequences

Slippery Slope

Slippery Slope Continued...

-a logical fallacy of faulty generalization by reaching an inductive generalization based on insufficient evidence

● Ex. “The two weightlifters I have met both

take steroids. Therefore, all weightlifters take steroids.”

Hasty Generalization

Hasty Generalization Continued...

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc

the logical fallacy of believing that temporal succession implies a causal relation.

● Ex. “Crime rate has increased since drugs have become illegal.”

Post Hoc Ergo Proctor Hoc Continued...

Genetic Fallacy

-the fallacy of confusing questions of validity and logical order with questions of origin and temporal order.

● Ex. “Most Christians become Christians

because their parents are.”

Genetic Fallacy Continued...

Begging the Claim

-Begging the claim is what one does in an argument when one assumes what one claims to be proving. ● Ex. “Abortion is the unjustified killing of a

human being and as such is murder. Murder is illegal. So abortion should be illegal.”

Begging the Claim Continued...

-a discussion that makes a conclusion based on material that has already been assumed in the argument ● Ex. "You can't give me a C! I'm an A

student!"

Circular Argument

Circular Argument Continued...

-logical fallacy in which the writer states that only two alternatives exist when in fact there are more than two

● Ex. A mother may tell her child: "Eat your broccoli or you won't get desert."

● Ex."Either you are part of the problem or part of the solution."

Either/Or

-logical fallacy in which the writer attacks the person who presents the issue rather than deal logically with the issue itself.

Ad Hominem

Ad Hominem Continued...

-a party, cause, movement, etc., that by its mass appeal, or strength readill attracts followers.

Bandwagon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G8fG1bKgQo&feature=player_embedded

Bandwagon continued...

-To seek to persuade or to reason with someone through the use of logical argument or discourse. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thzUR_mq6OY&feature=player_embedded

Appeal to Reason

Bait and Switch

- A form of fraud, most commonly used in retail sales but applicable to other contexts. First, customers are baited by advertising for a product or service at a low price. Second, the customers discover that an advertised good is not available and are switched to a costlier product. ● Ex. An advertisement for a free chicken

sandwich, but you actually have to purchase a side of fries and a drink.

McDonald's Commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9tyT--fuAA&feature=player_embedded

Stereotyping

- A popular belief about specific types of individuals that are unusually unjust or unfair● Ex. All women are bad drivers.● http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-

Sjld5yy3Q&feature=player_embedded

Biased or Prejudicial Statements

- When a statement reflects a partiality, preference, or prejudice for or against a person, object or an idea.● Ex. The association that black people are

more related to crime.

Logos

-Appeal to logic and reason. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP9tkpMRD9s&feature=player_embedded

Ethos

-The guiding belief or ideals that characterize a nation, community, or ideology. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgVzAMQsP5o&feature=player_embedded

Pathos

-Using words, objects, or ideas to create an emotional reaction. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ_vcv5I_KA&feature=player_embedded

Ad Populum

-Latin for "appeal to the people"; a technique of persuading an audience by appealing to a common belief. ● Ex. "But officer, I don't deserve a ticket; everyone goes

this speed. If I went any slower, I wouldn't be going with the stream of traffic."

● Hiter lid th Germans about how the Jews were bad and should be exterminated. They beleved him and killed millions in the Holocaust.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXXdXhNoDD4&list=FLbTCj4O_J5n5m17MKCLb43A&index=1&feature=plpp_video

Red Herring

-Figurative expression in which a clue or piece of information is intended to be misleading, or distracting from the actual question; the informal fallacy of presenting an argument that may in itself be valid, but does not address the issue in question. ● "I think there is great merit in making the

requirements stricter for the graduate students. I recommend that you support it, too. After all, we are in a budget crisis and we do not want our salaries affected."

Straw Man

-Also known as an "Aunt Sally"; component of an argument and is an informal fallacy based on misrepresentation of an opponent's position; to "attack a straw man" is to create the illusion of having refuted a proposition by replacing it with a superficially similar yet equivalent proposition and refuting it without ever having, actually refuting the original position. ● "Senator Jones says that we should not fund the attack

submarine program. I disagree entirely. I can't understand why he wants to leave us defenseless like that."

Moral Equivalence

-A term used in political debates, usually to criticize any denial that a moral hierarchy can be assessed of two sides in a conflict or in the actions or tactics of two sides.● Claiming that Nazism wasn't as bad as

Communism, by drawing a moral equivalence between the Holocaust, and the mass deaths under Mao's Great Leap Forward, Stalin's purges and gulags, and Pol Pot's killing fields.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqPzW63EWwc

Assertion/Claim

-The declaration of an idea to persuade an audience toward a particular belief; somethg declared or stated positively, often wth no support or attempt at proof.● Ex. "All men are created equal."

Toulmin Method

-Created by British philosopher Stephen Toulmin; an informal method of reasoning that involves the data, claim, and warrant of an argument; identified elements of a good persuassive argument.● Ex. "I drove last time, so this time it is your

turn to drive."

Rogerian Method

- Developed by Carl Rogers, an American psyhologist; a conflict solving technique based on finding common ground instead of polarizing debate; a negotiating strategy in which opposing views are described objectively and common goals are identified to reach agreement. ● "We both agree that littering is destructive."

Hegelian Method

-A method of argumentation or exposition that systematically weighs contradictory facts or ideas with a view to the resolution of their real or apparent contradictions; the philosophy of Hegel that places reality in ideas instead of things.● "... the State 'has the supreme right against

the individual, whose supreme duty is to be a member of the State... for the right of the world spirit is above all special privileges.'"

Summation

-The process of adding or pulling things together in the final stages of an argument, speech, etc.; a concluding part of a speech or argument containg a summary of principle points.● Ex. A jury's closing speech before the reading of the

verdict.

Concession

-Something, such as a point previously claimed in an argument that is later conceded by means of an admission.● Ex. Writer's opposition: Smoking should be

banned in public places.● Opposing argument: An individual's right to

freedom should not be curtailed● Concession: An individual may have the

right to action, but not at the expense of others.

Qualify

-Using specific words or phrases to make a sentence less strong or less generalized. ● Ex. Qualifying words: So to speak, Almost, In

a way, practically, to some extent.

The Testimonial

-A form of formal statement testifying to someone's character and qualificationsal statement testifying to someone's character and qualifications; a form of propaganda used to make the audience accept anything.● Ex. Proactive commercials with testimonials

about their uncontrollable acne and about how the product "worked miracles".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moPZNg-2878&feature=relmfu

The Testimonial Continued...

● Ex. "When I feel tired, I take Mom's

Ginseng and have energy to spare."● "I bought a car from Car Mart and they

treated me right."

Name Calling

-Verbal abuse; a crude substitute for argument. ● Ex. The ad is blatantly stating that this man

helped drug dealers escape prison. This is a clear example of name calling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmwhdDv8VrM

Home Calling

-A technique used by sales associates, politicians, or companies to draw attention to their product or themselves while making others aware. ● Ex. Campaigning● Charity drives● http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=eGBUB8yj2Ys&feature=player_embedded

Home Calling Continued...

Transfer

-This is a technique of projecting positive or negative qualities (praise or blame) of a person, entity, object, or value (an individual, group, organization, nation, patriotism, etc.) to another in order to make the second more acceptable or to discredit it.● This is an example of transfer because people see

Channing Tatum in this commercial. People like Channing Tatum; therefore people will like Mountain Dew. Or that’s the point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V43s0vOp7YM

Glittering Generalities

-This is a device by which the propagandist identifies his program with virtue by use of "virtue words". This appeals to our emotions of love, generosity, and brotherhood. This is a device to make us accept and approve without examining evidence.● Ex. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with the greatest pleasure

that I welcome you to this most auspicious of occasions. We are gathered here on the brink of a challenge to which we must all rise in concert, for not to do so would be to accept despair, which I will never do and I know you will never accept.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfV3LqFBifw&feature=player_embedded

Plain folks

-A Plain Folks argument is one in which the speaker presents him or herself as a common person who can understand and empathize with a listener's concerns; a device used by politicians, labor leaders, and business executives to win or confidence by appearing to be people like ourselves. ● Ex. A wealthy politician saying they understand that

times are hard and money is tight.● During election time, politicians ride buses to campaign.

They claim to be "small town people."

Plain Folks Continued...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whHj1Hes7k8&feature=player_embedded

- a device in which one employs all arts of deception to win over support for oneself, group, race, policy, belief, etc.; a propaganda technique that seeks to manipulate audience perception of an issue by emphasizing one side and repressing another. ● Ex. Comparison between Apple Macintosh and

Windows computers.● Using one-sided testimonials.● Making sure opposed arguments are not heard.

Card Stacking

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiWTcVHdSFo&feature=player_embedded

Card Stacking Continued...