The Need for Rhetoric

I. Rhetoric’s Beginning—as languages, and other symbolic forms of

communication (cave paintings), like the alphabet began, there was a
need to find ways to interpret and organize them I ways we could
understand.
1. Out of this grew RHETORIC— one of the 3 original disciplines--
(Rhetoric, Grammar, Logic)
 Rhetoric is the art and practice of persuasion.
 Rhetoric is an ancient art, practice, and theory
of ethical communication

II. Aristotle says that we need to understand Rhetoric for 2 reasons

1. In order to express our own ideas and thoughts
2. to protect ourselves from those who would try to manipulate
or harm us.

III. Today we need to understand rhetoric, too.

a. We have visual communications, speeches, Facebook, blogs, forums,
News reports, books, essays etc. –various Rhetorical situations--
b. What other types of communication do we have?
c. Imperative—learn to critically assess AND analyze each
RHETORICAL SITUATION to eliminate misunderstandings

(EVAA Intro)

Thinking Rhetorically

The only real alternative to war is rhetoric. –Wayne Booth

I. Examples today? . . . (Recent past p. 5)

II. How do we learn to think and act rhetorically? Or how do we develop a
careful and ethical use of languages, in any given rhetorical situation?

III. Developing Habits:

 a. The biggest one to me is –AGREE to DISAGREE –others can have a
different opinion than you
b. Listen
c. Search for understanding—search –BEFORE deciding what you
actually think
d. THEN you can try to persuade others to listen to you and act on what
you say
e. Examples: Photos—p. 6 & 7 –Tahir Square & Protesting Low Wages
i. words and images are used

IV. Burkean Parlor

Imagine that you enter a parlor. You come late. When you arrive, others
have long preceded you, and they are engaged in a heated discussion, a
discussion too heated for them to pause and tell you exactly what it is about
. . . . You listen for a while, until you decide that you have caught the tenor of
the argument; then you put in your oar.—Kenneth Burke

V. Listen: What’s the difference between hearing & listening?

a. 1st step: Listening to the words in an open & understanding way
i. Do your homework Find out everything being said about
issue
b. 2nd step: Thinking about the WHY something is being said
i. Considering conflicting viewpoints
ii. Like Close Reading—looking at every aspect of a text—but also
bringing in what others say—both supporting/against initial
position.
iii. Analyze—what you find
c. 3rd step: Thinking about your own thinking/motivations—Why do
you believe what you believe?
i. Synthesize—your findings and your own point of view and
motivations, priorities etc. into an INFORMED, REFLECTIVE
opinion.

Rhetorical Situation of Visual Media to Essay

Look at Olympic Sports Illustrated Covers p. 13

1. What do these two images say?

2. How are they different?
3. Who is their Audience?
4. Purpose?
 5. How did analyzing the pictures and research help him write an essay? (14)
Read: Rhetorical Thinking—Put In Your Oar p. 14

Read: Gerald Graff & Cathy Birkenstein quote: p.16

(EVAA Ch.1)

Rhetorical Situations

I. Rhetorical Situations—are where an author is writing and/or

speaking in a specific set of situations—addressing certain
audiences for a particular purpose, using certain technologies etc.

II. Rhetorical Situation is whenever we write.

a. Genre
b. Audience
c. Purpose All of which exist in some
d. Stance larger context.
e. Context
f. Medium **Look at 20-23
g. Design

III. Make a list of all of the rhetorical situations that you wrote in this week.

(EVAA Ch. 2)

Rhetoric in the Workplace

Look at Ch. 5 & 6