For this blog post, I want you to explore what rhetoric is--how it is defined and used, why it is important to know and understand, how it connects to writing, what it means to you in the class and perhaps in your major. Use the reading to ground your post, but also begin to synthesize (this means taking your thinking past a summary) to make connections to the class, to each other, and to yourself as a writer. You can also use this post to explore what rhetoric means today in our society--the ways in which people practice it (often without evening realizing it) and how it might be useful for you once you graduate.
Per normal: shoot for 250-500 words. Make specifics connections to the reading and to your peers.
Due: Thursday, January 19 by class time.
This reading really helped me understand what rhetoric is, as well as why it is important to be able to utilize. I think one of the most important aspects of the reading was the distinction between rhetoric and people just yelling their beliefs at one another. Now that it is pointed out to me, it is something that seems so obvious, but I did not notice it at all before. That is what I think connects the most to my everyday life. The idea of a productive argument, a witty exchange of opinions, challenging other’s intellect to try and building off one another’s statements; this is what rhetoric is. It isn’t just repeating a certain belief over and over and not listening to what the other has to say at all. Being able to utilize rhetoric can hugely help one get what they are trying to achieve, and there are many different ways to go about it. As the examples in the text indicated, especially with the student tax example, there are many different ways to approach an issue, and each have their own properties that make it strong and unique. It is important though to use your skill of rhetoric wisely in a given situation. This definitely applies directly to my life both professionally and personally. I would most likely go about convincing my professor that I deserve a better grade on an assignment much differently than I would to try and get my curfew extended by my mom. I think that being able to argue a point eloquently and efficiently is just as important as having an opinion at all, because what is the point in having an opinion if you are not willing or unable to fight for it? As someone who is very strong willed, I usually end up arguing with people more than I should, and I do intend to use this article to do it more efficiently, because who doesn’t like winning every argument they have? In the professional world too, whatever that may be for me, the power of persuasion is extremely important, especially in marketing which is something that I might have an interest in, your entire job is to persuade people to buy something, so knowing the best way to do that would be invaluable information.
ReplyDeleteRhetoric has clearly changed and taken on a new meaning in our mainstream media from what it was originally intended to convey. The fact that I have heard the word rhetoric used most often to describe pointless political ramblings is upsetting now that I understand the full meaning of the word. Rhetoric, as described by Aristotle, is “the power of finding the available arguments suited to a given situation” (1). It is sad that the word has devolved from something that used to be considered the same as studying citizenship to more of an insult than anything else in the mainstream media. The chapter was extremely helpful for my personal understanding of what rhetoric is. It talks about how diversity of opinion and expressing that opinion is a good thing, which I agree with whole heartedly, since I find that that is the only situation in which the best solution to a problem can be found or argument can be made. All of the different terms that they described in order to fully understand rhetoric also helped. I find that I do a lot of the rhetoric creating process subconsciously, but understanding that there is a rational way to approach argumentation and create rhetoric and discourse is a wonderful thought. I certainly plan to think more actively when forming rhetoric or debating with someone from now on. I think having considerable skill as a rhetor would benefit anyone in almost any endeavor. If you can get someone, or a group of people, to get behind your thinking you can almost definitely get a job in a leadership position. Or, if someone else wanted you to make their point for them there is always that avenue as well. Overall, I found the chapter to be a good read. My understanding of rhetoric and it’s underlying terms is greatly enhanced.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started reading this, I am not going lie, rhetoric made no sense to me. It just confused me and I had no idea what it really meant and how it was really used. But after reading this I think I am finally figuring out what it really is. Rhetoric is a way to express yourself using words. You could be saying them aloud or you could be writing them on paper. I think it is very interesting how they use the word disagreement to describe where rhetoric comes from. The author states “ So the fact that rhetoric originates in disagreement is untimely and good thing because its use allows people to make important choices without resorting to less palatable means of persuasion-coercion or violence.”
ReplyDeleteI really like what Annalise said about rhetoric being a productive argument. I completely agree with her and I think it’s a very clean and clear explanation. Rhetoric is used all the time, whether it’s deciding on where to eat or writing a paper. It is very important to know and understand because it really helps people get their points across. It connects to writing because with good rhetoric you can be a very good persuader. As it says in the article no one can compete with facts but I think with good rhetoric you can start to persuade people easily. In class we always use rhetoric whether we mean to or not. We state our opinions and back up our beliefs. In my major it is hard for me to see the rhetoric that I am using daily, but when I think about it I use it every day in all of my classes. I have my own opinion on things and so do other students. As I mentioned above, in class we all have our first opinions and I think that is definitely us using rhetoric. When we are asked a question we all have our own opinions and we think about how to persuade the other students to believe what you believe.
When I write I argue with myself on what I really believe. Before I even begin to write on paper I use rhetoric in my head. Then when I finally figure out what I believe I use rhetoric to convince other people what I think. I thought it was very interesting how they used NFL football plays as an example for rhetoric. But when I thought about it I realized that some of the referees have there own opinions on some of the playbacks. Knowing what rhetoric really is will be very useful, because I will notice when I do it. Rhetoric is a very good strategy to have and actually knowing what it is really help me a lot in the future.
Rhetoric was clearly outlined in this reading “the power of finding the available arguments suited to a given situation.” Granted that was Aristotle’s definition, I believe it to hold true. However, I was more intrigued by the dictionary definition “the art of effective speaking or writing.” Specifically “the art of” part as the reading suggests that rhetoric was indeed developed from language; however, I believe that it can be more than that. The reading says that “people communicate their perceptions through language,” and then suggests that language is just another medium for rhetoric. I believe that rhetoric can be applied in much more than writing or speaking. In answering how rhetoric could possibly apply to my major, I simply took rhetoric to a different medium: music composition.
ReplyDeleteThrough the various definitions of rhetoric, I believe it is indeed possible to “argue” through music. I do not want to subject anyone to the technical mumbo-jumbo, but it is quite possible to take, let’s say a Perfect Authentic Cadence and “argue” the different ways to write one in a musical composition. Doing so would require analyzing a written out example and using that as a basis for further musical expansion, much like taking a piece of writing and analyzing it for a creative and constructive response. It is also possible to literally have a call and response within a melody of sorts creating a form of musical rhetoric. This would be where one melody is played which is then followed by either a variation of said melody or just a complimentary line that would end a musical phrase. Take, for example, the basic “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” where the melody is introduced for two measures and is quite appropriately responded two in the following two measures. It is a perfect example of musical rhetoric.
Still that phrase “the art of” lingers in my mind and creates a different perspective when I think of rhetoric. Yes, I know it’s not simply shouting out commonplaces at one another, and that is the way the author persuades his/her audience, but the phrase suggests that rhetoric can be used in an artful way. Just the word rhetoric sounds so regimented and strict, yet I feel as if it has the potential to be used in more versatile ways other than academic argument. However, I would need more time to develop that theory. It still remains intriguing.
As Jillian says, “We state our opinions and back up our beliefs.” That is the most clear cut way to describe how rhetoric is used in today’s world, both professionally and in our personal lives as well. From the one extreme of research papers to the other such as Facebook status updates, that is all that we do: “We state our opinions and back up our beliefs.” And we do so using rhetoric.
Blog #5
ReplyDeleteOne of the first topics that we talked about in class was arguing. I agree with CJ in saying that rhetoric is “the power of finding the available arguments suited to a given situation.” At first I made a small connection between good writing, and a good argument, but now realize that argumentation is much more important. To have a good rhetorical situation, a writer must argue whatever point they are trying to prove, backing their argument one-hundred percent, and give enough supporting evidence to convince the reader that their opinion makes sense and is a valid argument. Then the reader must then react to the great rhetoric that has been presented. “We do believe that rhetoric is among the best ways available to us for rectifying inequalities among citizens.” This quote goes back to argumentation and the fact that it is a very helpful tool, if and only if the person uses rhetoric to create a smart, balanced basis for the argument. Back in ancient times, and even now, people of with greater socioeconomic status have the upper hand when it comes to argumentation because they have the support of the people who don’t feel like speaking for themselves. So, for example if a person in a poorer neighborhood has a great idea for the city council that would be beneficial to their neighborhood, they must present it in a totally different way than a person with money and connections.
The five outlined steps on rhetoric include the primary purpose, the audience to address, the context in which one is writing, the stance or authorial tone, and the genre and medium that fits the subject. I believe that breaking down rhetorical situation into these five parts makes the subject easier to understand. The book also talks about using pictures and multimedia in ones writing, and although I find it hard to find great pictures to put with my writing, if the right one is found it could be worth a thousand words. So, I believe that rhetoric should be defined as effective writing.
This article helped me understand rhetoric so much more than before. In class I always referred to rhetoric as any piece of writing or speech pretty much. That is and is not the case. After assessing the rhetorical situation, that’s when I got confused. If rhetorical situation is the start of every piece of writing, how does that tie into rhetoric in general?
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say I was confused. The article stated “rhetoric is a situational art” and “rhetoric equips people to respond to particular situations in particular places at particular times, and its processes and outcomes depend on these circumstances.” This proved rhetorical situation is the start of each writing piece, and the tone, voice, information, etc. of a piece of writing or speech will depend on the situation it is written for and to whom.
Rhetoric is the argument in general, the informative words and the proven point provided by a situation and person. I agree with the article on debates and debate shows. It reminded me of reality tv in a way. Reality tv is supposed to be real situations, but everyone knows these shows are generally staged and producers have the people do certain things in order to get good reviews. Debates are the same way. Rhetorical arguments have grown to become entertainment. Therefore the debates are not real in the slightest, they are staged and merely used for yelling at one another, which is not the point of rhetoric. Like the article said, rhetoric is using arguments to change beliefs, get informed and preach an idea or opinion. Yelling without listening has overwhelmed the public in many ways and it’s defeating all purposes of intellectual growth.
I agree with Dylan with his statement that rhetoric is a logical way to go about arguing. There is logic to it all, and it’s the way you can speak and write something that will win or lose the argument. You need to have the right terms, facts, language, etc. in order to give a proper argument. I think the article was spot on too with the statement that war and debate shows is the result of agreeing to disagree. There is no growth or understanding on each side, both sides believe they need to use force instead of reason.
Regarding my own writing, I think my understanding of what both rhetoric is and is not will help me with my argumentative writing. I think the article helps clarify that disagreement is inevitable because all humans have opinions, values, morals, and different beliefs based on our own experiences. It becomes relevant in writing. I will not say something that I do not agree with, or if I do say it, I will say why I disagree. Planting an argument doesn’t mean you’re protesting something else, it’s just using language to portray why you believe one thing over the other.
According to Crowley and Hawhee, “Rhetoric is characterized as fancy language used to distort the truth or to tell lies” (Crowley, Pg. 1). I feel like rhetoric creates power to find appropriate arguments suited for any given situation. Rhetoric is used most importantly to distinguish opinion. It allows an audience to observe and determine credible, useful and valuable information.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Crowley and Hawhee’s point about international relations. If politicians stop using rhetoric to resolve international disagreements there might be no future at all. Rhetoric allows the negative or damaging aspects being discussed to present a more positive look on any given issue (example: John Stuart). Why is this really useful? Rhetoric is important in your writing and when you speak because without it, chaos is created. It allows people to make important choices without resorting to less palatable means of persuasion-coercion or violence.
Men and women all around the world connect writing to a part of their everyday life. In my personal future as a business student I look at Rhetoric in a very similar way to Crowley and Hawhee. Especially in business markets today, people such as investment bankers are trying to draw new clients in everyday from all around the world. Without the rhetoric, your opinion becomes skewed, inaccurate, and in the business world will certainly peel clients away from you who don’t feel comfortable or distrust your work.
When I think about rhetoric in a classroom setting, there are endless possibilities to explain it. In any class you take, a good teacher will always look for any way to make work which isn’t fun seem a little more appealing by finding the Rhetoric. The best and most recent example I could use would be for my Writ class when our teacher pulled markers and crayons to learn about our own theory of writing.
In ancient Athens and Rome, rhetoric was a way to “make decisions, resolve disputes, and deliberate publicly about important issues” (1). This definition has appeared to mold and evolve to something different today. With the growing increase of media, rhetoric has become something with less meaning. “Thanks to talk shows, argument has become a form of entertainment rather than a means of working through differences or discovering new resolutions” (2). Argumentation and rhetoric have become more forms of theatre entertainment than anything else. Many people believe that yelling and fighting is the only way to make a point. This is not true, however: “shouting over one another is an extremely unproductive model of argument because doing so rarely involves listening or responding and seldom stimulates anyone to change his or her mind” (3). That said, it is not as if a more meaningful form of rhetoric has disappeared completely. Many people use rhetoric in their everyday lives without even knowing it. When students are called on in class to answer a question, they are using rhetoric by intelligently stating their viewpoint. Sometimes the student’s response will be different from what the teacher expects and there will be a back-and-forth about what is accurate. The same is true with an argumentative essay that is based off of ones stance. It is a way for a student to inform others of their viewpoint in a medium that is backed up by evidence.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dylan that “having considerable skill as a rhetorician would benefit anyone in almost any endeavor.” Rhetoric takes on many different forms, and through using it discourse can be made without resorting to violence and coercion. I also agree with Annalise that it is important to use ones skill of rhetoric wisely in any given situation. This applies directly to my major and intended career. I am a psychology major and want to be a Kindergarten teacher some day. Both require a lot of conversation and rhetoric. It is easy to give up in an argument and simply start yelling, but that is usually not the best way to approach a situation. When dealing with Kindergarten children I will need to teach them skills and help them form opinions of their own about the world. It will be necessary for me to be nurturing and helpful, while also being resilient in what I say. I have a few years to start working on this, however, and I can start in writing class. The skills started in the article can help me better use rhetoric in writing class. I am usually afraid of talking in class, but with the knowledge I have gained I feel as though I am better prepared for in class discussion.