Chapter 4

Chapter 4: 

Chapter 4 Persuasion Through Rhetoric: Common Devices and Techniques

Rhetorical Devices: 

Rhetorical Devices A rhetorical device is a linguistic device used primarily to influence beliefs and attitudes and behavior. We’ll discuss ten rhetorical devices.

Rhetoric: 

Rhetoric Rhetoric is not a substitute for argument. Substituting rhetoric for argument is a mistake in critical thinking. Saying that someone ‘butchered’ a role is not an explanation of what made the performance a bad one. Calling abortion ‘baby murder’ is not in itself an argument against the morality of abortion.

Euphemisms and Dysphemisms: 

Euphemisms and Dysphemisms A euphemism is an expression intended by the speaker to be less offensive, disturbing, or troubling than the word or phrase it replaces. A dysphemism is an expression intended by the speaker to be more offensive, disturbing, or troubling than the word or phrase it replaces.

Euphemisms: 

Euphemisms ‘Sanitary landfill’ instead of ‘garbage dump’ ‘Pre-owned vehicles’ instead of ‘used cars’ ‘Correctional facility’ instead of ‘prison’ ‘Percussive maintenance’ instead of ‘to repair by hitting (as with a hammer)’ ‘Downsizing’, ‘laying off’ or even ‘rightsizing’ instead of ‘dismissing employees’ ‘Boost’ instead of ‘steal’ ‘Pro-choice’ instead of ‘pro-abortion’; ‘pro-life’ instead of ‘anti-abortion’

Dysphemisms: 

Dysphemisms ‘Fisheye soup’ was a World War I sailors’ name for tapioca pudding ‘Bureaucrat’ instead of ‘government employee’ ‘Piracy’ for ‘illegally downloading music from or distributing music on the Internet’ Calling a professor a ‘fascist’ because she expects you to be in class on time

Rhetorical Analogies: 

Rhetorical Analogies A rhetorical analogy is a likening of one thing to another in order to convey a negative—or positive—feeling about it. “John is as dumb as a bag of hammers” is meant to persuade the hearer that John is not particularly smart.

Rhetorical Definitions: 

Rhetorical Definitions A rhetorical definition is a definition that uses emotively charged language in order to express or elicit an attitude about something. Defining ‘abortion’ as ‘baby murder’ is an example of a rhetorical definition. Notice that this definition assumes that a fetus is a human being. But assuming that a fetus is a human being is not, of course, a legitimate substitute for an argument for that claim.

Rhetorical Explanations: 

Rhetorical Explanations A rhetorical explanation is an explanation that is intended to influence the hearer’s attitudes or behavior. “He voted for Kerry because he’s always liked people who can’t stand by their decisions; birds of a feather flock together.”

Stereotypes: 

Stereotypes A stereotype is a thought about or an image of a group of people, animals, or things that is based on little or no evidence. “All football players are dumb.” “All engineers are nerds.” “Men are pigs.”

Innuendo: 

Innuendo An innuendo is a form of suggestion in which something negative, about someone or something, is insinuated rather than actually said. Suppose I say to you: “There is at least one instructor at this university who cares about his students.” This is innuendo because it suggests that some instructors—and maybe even every instructor but me—do not care about their students. Even though my statement is consistent with its being true that all teachers care about their students, the idea is suggested that some—maybe even many—do not.

Loaded Questions: 

Loaded Questions A loaded question is a question that makes one or more unwarranted or unjustified assumptions. “Do you still cheat on exams?” is a loaded question. The question assumes that you have cheated in the past. If you have never cheated, the assumption is unwarranted, and so the question is loaded.

Weaselers: 

Weaselers A weaseler is an expression used to protect a claim from criticism by weakening it. It’s a linguistic method of hedging a bet. “It’s not impossible for him to be lying.”

Downplayer: 

Downplayer A downplayer is a word or expression that is used to play down or diminish the importance of a claim. “She’s only published a single paper.” Here the downplayer is “only,” and the implication is that with one work to her credit, she can’t be a very significant scholar. Or “He’s a so-called teacher.” Quotation marks can be used to downplay the significance of something: “John’s ‘education’ came from a correspondence school.”

Horse Laugh: 

Horse Laugh Horse laugh is ridicule of all kinds, and includes laughing at a claim and the use of sarcastic language. Although ridicule can be used to persuade people, it is not reasoning. “You call that art? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!” In sarcasm a sharp remark, which is often ironic or satirical, is intentionally used to cause pain. Oscar Wilde once asked James Whistler’s opinion of a poem which Wilde had written. Whistler read it, handed it back to Wilde and said, “It’s worth its weight in gold.” Wilde never forgave him.

Hyperbole: 

Hyperbole Hyperbole is extravagant overstatement; obvious exaggeration for effect; an extravagant statement that is not intended to be understood literally. “Jane has the brain of ten people put together” is a hyperbolic way of saying that Jane is very smart. Saying “I am dying of hunger” when it has been only six hours since you last ate is hyperbole.

Proof Surrogates: 

Proof Surrogates A proof surrogate is an expression that is used to suggest that there is evidence for a claim without actually citing any such evidence. Saying “Experts say that . . .” without saying who the experts are and how it is known that what they say is true is an example of proof surrogate. Another example is “Studies show that . . .” without specifying which studies, and who did them, and according to what standards they were conducted. Or, “It is obvious that . . .” when the claim might not be obvious at all.

Persuasive “Rhetoric” in Pictures: 

Persuasive “Rhetoric” in Pictures

Persuasive “Rhetoric” in Pictures: 

Persuasive “Rhetoric” in Pictures

Persuasive “Rhetoric” in Pictures: 

Persuasive “Rhetoric” in Pictures

Persuasive “Rhetoric” in Pictures: 

Persuasive “Rhetoric” in Pictures

Persuasive “Rhetoric” in Pictures: 

Persuasive “Rhetoric” in Pictures

Persuasive “Rhetoric” in Pictures: 

Persuasive “Rhetoric” in Pictures

Persuasive “Rhetoric” in Pictures: 

Persuasive “Rhetoric” in Pictures

Why this picture for this story?: 

Why this picture for this story? Smoke and mirrors When Gore says he wants to ban “soft money” what he’s really trying to do is divert attention from his role in the biggest fund-raising scandal in history.

Is this as effective?: 

Is this as effective? Smoke and mirrors When Gore says he wants to ban “soft money” what he’s really trying to do is divert attention from his role in the biggest fund-raising scandal in history.

Persuasive “Rhetoric” in Moving Pictures: 

Persuasive “Rhetoric” in Moving Pictures