Exam 3 Flashcards
Rhetoric
Persuasive languages primarily used to influence beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors, rather than to prove something logically
Weaselers
Help protect a claim from criticism by watering it down, somewhat weakening it
Ex: “up to 5 miles per gallon”, “up to 50% off”, “15 mins could save you 15% or more”
Stereotypes
Can be pos/neg. It is a cultural belief/idea abt social groups attributions, usually simplified or exaggerated
Downplayers
Attempt to make someone/thing look less important or significant
Ex: Air quotes or saying “so called”
Hyperbole
Extravagant overstatement or exaggeration. Can be combined with stereotypes.
Ex: “Everyone downloads music illegally”, “Nobody in the Tea Party likes blacks”
Euphemism
Neutral or positive expression used in place of one that carries neg. Associations
Ex: “increase revenues” instead of raise taxes”, “Waterboarding” instead of torture
Dysphemism
Used to produce a neg. effect on someone’s attitude abt something, or to tone down the positive associations it may have.
Ex: “scheme” instead of legislative proposal, “noise” instead of music
Proof surrogates
Expression used to suggest evidence w/o providing it.
Ex: “studies show airborne will reduce duration of common cold” (doesn’t give any detail about the studies”, saying “it’s obvious that” (where’s the proof tho?)
Innuendo
Uses power of suggestion to imply or insinuate something. It’s not stated explicitly
Ex: “I am proof that at least one candidate in this race doesn’t make stuff up” (doesn’t say the others are doing it but implies it)
Ridicule/Sarcasm
Widely used to put something in a bad light
Rhetorical questions
Questions we ask when we don’t really want an answer- way of saying something or being persuasive.
rhetorical definitions
Purpose is persuasion, not to objectively define the word
Ex: “abortion means ruthless killing of innocent human beings” (not defining abortion, just saying it’s bad)
rhetorical explanations
Purpose is persuasion, not to objectively explain something
Ex: “as soon as obama came into office he began systematically shredding the US constitution” (not saying he literally put it in a shredder)
Rhetorical comparisons/analogies (Non-argumentative analogies)
Similes & metaphors. Likens 2+ things to make one of them appear better or worse than the other. Purpose is persuasion.
Ex: “talking to me neighbor is like negotiating with the Iranians
loaded questions
Form of innuendo and contain an unwarranted or unjustified assumption in the question
formal fallacies
A fallacy that occurs when a speaker or writer advances a deductive arg. That has an invalid logical form.
fallacies of relevance
Flawed args. Having at least one one irrelevant premise. Conclusion can be T/F
Ad Hominem
attacking the arguer, not the argument. 2 types:
- Circumstantial- attempts to discredit the opponent’s argument by alluding to circumstances that affect the opponent.
- inconsistency/tu quoque-attacks arguer for being inconsistent
Ad Populum (appeal to the people)
Occurs when we urge others to accept a claim simply b/c all/most others believe it to be true.
Ad Baculum (appeal to force)
When arguer threatens to do harm to listener if the args. conclusion is not accepted. Threat is irrelevant to issue at hand and is a scare tactic
Appeal to pity
Arguer attempts to support conclusion by evoking pity from person and is irrelevant to issue at hand. (* Sometimes pity is relevant to an arg.)
apple polishing
Arguer attempts to support a conclusion by merely flattering person
straw man
When arguer attempts to refute another’s arg. by distorting, misrepresenting, or mischaracterizing the other arguers position
Red herring/smokescreen
All fallacies of relevance are red herrings. These attempt to distract attention away from issue under consideration to a dif, but subtly related issue.
