11 Rhetorical Terms

Question 0

Subject

Answer 0

Topic

Question 1

THESIS

Answer 1

Main Point

Question 2

Explicit Thesis

Answer 2

Main point stated outright

Question 3

Implicit Thesis

Answer 3

Main point suggested by the body of the essay

Question 4

Persona

Answer 4

Author’s self representation in an essay

Question 5

Premise

Answer 5

Stated opinion

Question 6

Ethos

Answer 6

Ethical appeal or the author’s credibility: established by

1) knowledge of the subject
2) common grounds
3) considering opposing points of view; demonstrating fairness

Question 7

Audience

Answer 7

To specific, identifiable ‘reader’ an author direct his/her argument toward

Question 8

Interference

Answer 8

A conclusion about the unknown based on the known

Question 9

Purpose

Answer 9

Author’s rhetorical intention; what he or she is attempting to accomplish

Question 10

Cicero’s

Answer 10

3 major purposes: to delight/ to teach/ to move

Question 11

Analogy

Answer 11

Means of argument through use of comparison

Question 12

Forensic Arguments

Answer 12

About the past

Question 13

Deliberative Arguments

Answer 13

About the future

Question 14

Authoritative Testimony

Answer 14

Expert testimony other than the author’s used to validate & support his/her claims

Ex.

Recognize experts in a particular field (psychologist/historians/philosophers)
Court cases/ruling (Supreme Court etc) 
Religious texts (bible/Koran/Tao Te Ching)
Historical/political documents (constitution/declaration of independence, etc)

Eye witness testimony ( other than the author)

Question 15

Assumptions

Answer 15

Unexamined belief

Question 16

Epideitic/ ceremonial

Answer 16

About the present

Question 17

Allusion

Answer 17

A reference to a historical event, text, person, etc. outside the text

Question 18

Pathos

Answer 18

Emotional appeal; arguments from the heart

Question 19

Logos

Answer 19

Logical appeal

1) inductive reasoning - drawing general conclusions from specific observations (only probably not)
2) deductive reasoning - syllogistic reasoning that draws a specific conclusion from stated premise (see syllogism)

Question 20

Syllogism

Answer 20

A form of reasoning with major premise, minor premise, and conclusion that follows exclusively from the parameters of two premises: it must be both valid (in its structure) and true (in the content of its premise)

Question 21

Rhetorical Situation

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Stasis Theory

Answer 22

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 (argument of evaluation)
3) what is the quality of the thing (arguments of evaluation)
4) what actions should be taken (proposal arguments)