1302 Terminology
Document Actions
1302 Terminology
Allusion: a reference to an historical event, text, person etc. outside the text
Analogy: a means of argument through the use of comparison
Arguments: Forensic (about the past), Deliberative (about the future), Epideictic/Ceremonial (about the present)
Audience: the specific, identifiable ÔreaderŐ an author directs his/her argument toward
Authoritative testimony: expert testimony other than the authorŐs used to validate and
support his/her claims: ex: recognizable experts in a particular field (psychologists/historians/philosophers), court cases/rulings (Supreme Court etc.), religious texts (Bible/Koran/Tao Te Ching etc), historical/political documents (Constitution/Declaration of Independence, etc.), eyewitness testimony (other than the author)
Assumptions: unexamined beliefs
Definitions: by synonym; by example (or ostensive); stipulative
Ethos: ethical appeal or the authorŐs credibility: established by
1). Demonstrating knowledge of the subject;
2). Establishing common ground with the audience and
3). Considering opposing points of view; demonstrating fairness
Inference; a conclusion about the unknown based on the known
Logos: logical appeal
Inductive reasoning: drawing general conclusions from specific observations (only probably true)
Deductive reasoning: syllogistic reasoning that draws a specific conclusion from stated premises (see syllogism)
Pathos: emotional appeal; arguments from the heart
Persona: the authorŐs self representation in an essay
Premise: stated opinion
Purpose: authorŐs rhetorical intention; what he or she is attempting to accomplish
CiceroŐs three major purposes: to delight, to teach, to move
Rhetorical Situation: the dynamic driven by the context in which an argument takes place, ie., the relationship between the author (and his or her purpose), subject, and audience
Stasis Theory: a means of investigating/analyzing a particular argument employing four basic questions
1. Did something happen (arguments of fact)?
2. What is the nature of the thing (arguments of definition)?
3. What is the quality of the thing (arguments of evaluation)?
4. What actions should be taken (proposal arguments)?
Subject: topic of an essay
Syllogism: a form of reasoning with a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion that follows exclusively from the parameters of the two premises:
it must be both valid (in its structure) and true (in the content of its premises)
EX: All humans are mortal
Socrates is a human.
Socrates is mortal.
Thesis: the main point of an essay
