Chapter 7 Flashcards
Irrational
Predominantly guided by something other than logic or reason
Irrational is defined as lacking reason or understanding.
An example of irrational is a fear of a certain color.
Emotional
The strong, involuntary feelings that constantly colour our experience
Moral
The human sense of what is right and what is wrong
Subjective
An individual’s unique personal experience and judgements, as opposed to an attempt to establish information that is independent of any individual
Intuition
The way in which we understand or decide things unconsciously, based on instinct and emotion and experience, rather than through a conscious process of reasoning
Objective
Facts that exist independently of any individual perspective, and that remain true no matter what any individual happens to believe
Rhetoric
The art of persuasion through means other than reasoning
Ethos
Establishing the trustworthiness of the source of an attempt at persuasion
Examples of ethos can be shown in your speech or writing by sounding fair and demonstrating your expertise
“He is a forensics and ballistics expert for the federal government - if anyone’s qualified to determine the murder weapon, it’s him.”
Logos
The chain of ideas contained in an attempt at persuasion
For example, when a speaker cites scientific data, methodically walks through the line of reasoning behind their argument
Pathos
The emotional appeals made during an attempt at persuasion
“If we don’t move soon, we’re all going to die!
Kairos
The moment of opportunity at which persuasion is most likely to work
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
Linguistic register
The type of language typically used in a particular setting or context
Impartiality
Stripping away emotive bias from language and expressing yourself as objectively as possible
Rhetorical device
A persuasive technique used to enhance the appeal of a message
Simile, metaphor…
Rhetorical question
A question that is not meant literally and that does not require an answer, but which is used to make a point more forcefully
Jargon
Words and phrases familiar only to an expert audience, sometimes used legitimately between experts, but sometimes used in order to confuse non-experts and restrict their engagement
Buzzwords
Fashionable words and phrases used to make something sound impressive and up to date; often a case of style over substance, with little thought beneath the surface
Smokescreen
A process of verbal concealment, where someone attempts to avoid or hide a key point beneath a large volume of irrelevant words
Euphemism
Deliberately replacing a negative-seeming word or phrase with something more neutral, often in order to conceal the severity of what has happened
“Let go” instead of “fired”
“Make love” instead of “sex”
Hyperbole
Deliberate exaggeration for the purpose of rhetorical impact
Litotes
Deliberately understating or using a negative to make a point sound convincing while not seeming to claim it directly
For example, saying “It’s not the best weather today” during a hurricane
Paralepsis
Introducing an idea while claiming you do not wish
to discuss it, thus allowing you to make a claim while denying any responsibility for discussing it
It looks like you spent a lot of money today, not to mention that you borrowed $40.00 from me yesterday.
