THE RHETORICAL TECHNIQUES

The rhetorical techniques are powerful modes of persuasion. Debaters use rhetorical techniques in strategic ways through their words, tone and body language.

Ethos, pathos and logos were coined by Greek philosopher Aristotle. They help us hurdle argumentative problems by appealing to people in 3 different ways.

Ethos is an appeal to credibility and or ethics. When using ethos the speaker/author is attempting to use credible beliefs of the dominate culture, credible individuals and or forms of thought in order to convince the audience. "I played ball for 10 years in the NBA, I seen it all!"

EXAMPLES OF ETHOS

• The author uses a well known doctor
• The author uses a personal experience to show knowledge
• The references some other kind of specialist
• The author may use the experience of another to affirm a certain level of knowledge

Like many things in life the rhetorical techniques overlap. Some persuasive approaches used by authors contain elements of all three techniques. Uses of all three techniques simultaneously are most effective.

Pathos is the appeal to passion and emotion. This technique is most often delivered through word play, imagery and images. This technique pulls on the heart strings of the audience or listener. "Rome, you should go to this party, I heard shawty gone be there."

EXAMPLES OF PATHOS

• For ten cents a day you can feed young children in this impoverished area
• Mama, pleasssssse?!
• Disaster ensued, as hundreds were trampled by horses, their bones cracking and cackling like pieces of timber in a large fire. We must stop this violence.

UNDERSTAND

Logos is the appeal to logic or logical thinking. When using logos you may use statistics or other forms of factual evidence to imply one mode of thinking is better than another. The usage of specific dates and times also reveals the presence of the logos technique.

EXAMPLES OF LOGOS

• You shouldn't touch a light switch after you wash your hands. Water conducts electricity.
• In 1940 the Eagles football team ran the ball for a league best 1600 yards--making them the best running team in the league.
• An astounding 60% of the population is living below their means--60%.

Always use the rhetorical techniques consciously. Find places to use them to your advantage. Consider who you are talking to and which rhetorical techniques they are most susceptible to. Are they particularly emotional? Scientific? Do they value credentials? If you don't know your reader, mix your approach.

WHILE WE WATCH THE GREAT DEBATERS

• Find one example of a claim of fact
• One example of a claim of value
• One example of a claim of policy
• At least one example of ethos, pathos and logos
• Two characteristics about debate that you've learned from watching the various debaters in the film
• WRITE EACH NEATLY ON A PIECE OF LOOSE LEAF

CONCESSION

Concession is most often epitomized by a semicolon (;) or transitional phrase such as nevertheless, however and notwithstanding.

Concession is the acknowledgment of your opponents point or argument while strengthening your own. Concession comes from the word concede which means to acknowledge or view as proper.

EXAMPLES OF CONCESSION

• My opponent's statistics are correct; however, they are irrelevant.
• I did stay out late; nevertheless, I came to school on time.
• My critics contend that my argument is without base; but on the contrary, my argument has layers of validity.

The key to proper use of the semicolon and concession is to make sure that the ideas on either side of the semicolon are complete thoughts. Concession usually contains two ideas that oppose one another.

The semicolon is used to unify two complete thoughts. A Semicolon's pause is greater than a comma but less than a period. A semicolon can be used with or without concession--as concession can be used with or without a semicolon.