lecture 6: chapter 5 Flashcards
Rhetorical force
- rhetoric in words and expressions have emotive meaning or rhetorical force, beyond the literal or dictionary meaning
- the rhetorical force of words is psychologically compelling, but by itself, it does not establish anything and has no probative weight
- not commonly found in science journals as it carries no probative weight, scientists cannot rely on persuasive language to sell their findings.
- it does not weaken an argument, but it does not strengthen it either
persuasive power or impact of language in communication
rhetorical devices
1: Euphhemisms and Dysphhemisms
2: Weaselers
3: Downplayers
4: sterotype
5: innuendo
6:loaded questions
7:sarcasm
8: rhetorical analogies and misleading comparisons
Euphemism and dysphemisms
- used to convey a positive or negative tone
- commonly referred to as slanters because of their ability to slant or sway them meaning of a statement
- Euphemisms = are neutral or positive expressions used in place of ones with negative associated
- “let go” or “severance of employment”
- dysphemisms = are expressions used to produce a negative effect or tone down positive associations
- “got the boot” or “fired like a dog”
euphemism
are neutral or positive expressions used in place of ones with negative associated
- “let go” or “severance of employment”
- can be used to hide wrongdoing but also have positive uses
dysphemism
are expressions used to produce a negative effect or tone down positive associations
- “got the boot” or “fired like a dog”
- are often found when a speaker or writer tries to get an audience to dislike someone or something
weaselers
- words or phrases that help to protect a claim from criticism by weakening it or giving the claim’s author an escape plan
- often include “up to” (often used in advertising). “ some” and “possibly”.
- “some people say that our product is the best on the market”
- euphemism can sometimes be considered a type of weaselling that involves using nicer language to. soften an unpleasant truth
- some words, such as “perhaps” and “maybe” can be used to create insinuation without actually making a claim
downplayers
- aim to make something or someone look less significant
- the context of a claim can determine whether it is a downplayer or not.
- original statement: “ I won first place in the competition”
- downplaying: “it was just a small competition, noting major”
- uses sterotyping too
what are examples of downplayers?
- stereotypes, rhetorical comparisons, explanations, innuendo, words such as “merely” , “so - called”, quotation marks
- the use of conjunctions like “nevertheless” , “however”, “still”, and “but” can be used to downplay claims
sterotype
- based on untruthful assumptions
- simplified or exaggerated idea about a social groups’ attributes that can be positive or negative
- ae unreliable characterizations of people and should not be relied upon to form opinions
- come from various sources and are often supported by prejudices and group interests
- can influence behaviour, such as the exposure to elderly people leading to slower walking and talking
innuendo
-based on untruthful assumptions
- uses suggestions to say something negative about someone or something
- i.e. “ I am not saying she cheated on the exam, but her grade was certainly a surprise”
- uses neutral or positive phrasing to make a derogatory statement
- relies on suggestion and implication, not on negative wording
- key to recognizing innuendo is that it depends on suggestion and implication
- basically a little diss
loaded questions
- based on untruthful assumptions
- implies something without saying it directly
- every question is based on assumptions
- i.e “ have you stopped cheating on exams?”
- you do not have any evidence to make the person admit something so you are trying to get them to admit without actually asking them.
sarcasm
- ridicule and sarcasm are forms of vicious humor and ridicule
- ridicule is a powerful tool as most people do not like to be laughed at
- laughing at someone or their position does not address any objections to that position
- can take form of outright laughter, unrelated jokes, sarcastic language, or laughing at the person making the point
- there is nothing wrong with using humor to make a valid point
sarcasm - hyperbole
- is an exaggeration or overstatement used to express strong feelings or persuade
- examples of hyperbole are describing ones parents as fascists, and saying nobody in a social group likes a particular demographic
- orginal statement: “this essay is difficult to write”
- hyperbole: “ writing this essay is like trying to climb Mount Everest with no gear”
- basically making things sound worse than they actually are
rhetorical devices
- rhetorical definitions can stack the deck against a particular viewpoint by using charged language, while defining by example can slant a discussion if the examples are prejudicially chosen
- i.e. defining abortion as murder
- rhetorical explanations use standard language to disguise their true purpose, which is to express or elicit an attitude
- they are intentionally pushing people towards your side before you even say your arguement
rhetorical analogies and misleading comparisons
- rhetorical analogies can make one thing appear better or worse than another, which can lead to changes in opinions without proper arguments
- stereotypes can be used to denigrate intellectuals or other groups
- ## comparisons can be misleading, such as vague comparisons, omitted important information, or using different standards
