• Aim: How can we persuade our audience Aim: How can we persuade our audience to see our point of view?to see our point of view?

• DN: Are you good at persuading others to DN: Are you good at persuading others to see things your way?see things your way?

NotesNotes• Persuasion – is the attempt to convince Persuasion – is the attempt to convince

others to do something or to change a others to do something or to change a belief of their own free will.belief of their own free will.

• Any time that you try to convince Any time that you try to convince someone to think, believe, or act as you someone to think, believe, or act as you want them to, you are speaking to want them to, you are speaking to persuade.persuade.

• A persuasive speech is one that A persuasive speech is one that establishes a fact, changes a belief, or establishes a fact, changes a belief, or moves an audience to act on a policy.moves an audience to act on a policy.– Your success depends on your content and Your success depends on your content and

your delivery.your delivery.

Types of PersuasionTypes of Persuasion

• Persuasion stems from the idea that Persuasion stems from the idea that people can hold different views on a people can hold different views on a topic and that it is open to question as to topic and that it is open to question as to which viewpoint is a better one.which viewpoint is a better one.

• Your goal as a speaker is to support your Your goal as a speaker is to support your viewpoint so that the audience will adopt viewpoint so that the audience will adopt it. In this way, persuasive speeches deal it. In this way, persuasive speeches deal with 3 types of questions that can be with 3 types of questions that can be answered in more that 1 way:answered in more that 1 way:– Questions of factQuestions of fact– Questions of beliefQuestions of belief– Questions of policyQuestions of policy

Questions of factQuestions of fact• concern statements that can be seen as concern statements that can be seen as

either true or false. You offer proof to either true or false. You offer proof to support a statement of fact, but the audience support a statement of fact, but the audience determines whether you have convincingly determines whether you have convincingly proved the veracity of that statement.proved the veracity of that statement.– EX: recycling can (cannot) save communities $EX: recycling can (cannot) save communities $– Coffee drinkers have (do not have) a higher risk of Coffee drinkers have (do not have) a higher risk of

heart disease.heart disease.– The space program does (does not) contribute to The space program does (does not) contribute to

national security.national security.

Questions of BeliefQuestions of Belief• Focus on what is right or wrong, good Focus on what is right or wrong, good

or bad, best or worst, moral or immoral. or bad, best or worst, moral or immoral. While you cannot prove that a belief is While you cannot prove that a belief is true or false, you can supply convincing true or false, you can supply convincing information to justify a belief.information to justify a belief.– Small schools are (are not) better for most Small schools are (are not) better for most

students than large schools are.students than large schools are.– Michael Jackson was (was not) the greatest Michael Jackson was (was not) the greatest

rock and roll performer ever.rock and roll performer ever.– It is (is not) wrong to avoid jury duty.It is (is not) wrong to avoid jury duty.

Question of policyQuestion of policy• Focuses on a particular action. You try Focuses on a particular action. You try

to convince the audience to act on to convince the audience to act on some policy or to agree that some some policy or to agree that some policy should be changed.policy should be changed.– High school athletes should (should not) be High school athletes should (should not) be

required to maintain a B average to required to maintain a B average to compete interscholastically.compete interscholastically.

– Funding for space exploration should Funding for space exploration should (should not) be increased.(should not) be increased.

Choosing and Limiting a Choosing and Limiting a TopicTopic

• A good persuasive topic is one A good persuasive topic is one that you feel strongly about or that you feel strongly about or that other people may have that other people may have different views on.different views on.

A General Summary of Aristotle's Appeals . . . The goal of argumentative writing is to persuade your audience that your ideas are valid, or more valid than someone else's. The Greek philosopher Aristotle divided the means of persuasion, appeals, into three categories--Ethos, Pathos, Logos.

Ethos (Greek for 'character') refers to the trustworthiness or credibility of the writer or

speaker. Ethos is often conveyed through tone and style of the message and through the way the

writer or speaker refers to differing views. It can also be affected by the writer's reputation as it

exists independently from the message--his or her expertise in the field, his or her previous record or integrity, and so forth. The impact of ethos is often called the argument's 'ethical appeal' or the 'appeal

from credibility.'

Pathos (Greek for 'suffering' or 'experience') is often associated with emotional appeal. But a better equivalent might be 'appeal to the audience's sympathies and imagination.' An appeal to pathos

causes an audience not just to respond emotionally but to identify with the writer's point of view--to feel what the writer feels. In

this sense, pathos evokes a meaning implicit in the verb 'to suffer'--to feel pain imaginatively.... Perhaps the most common

way of conveying a pathetic appeal is through narrative or story, which can turn the abstractions of logic into something palpable and present. The values, beliefs, and understandings of the writer are implicit in the story and conveyed imaginatively to the reader.

Pathos thus refers to both the emotional and the imaginative impact of the message on an audience, the power with which the

writer's message moves the audience to decision or action.

Logos (Greek for 'word') refers to the internal consistency of the

message--the clarity of the claim, the logic of its reasons, and the effectiveness of its supporting

evidence. The impact of logos on an audience is sometimes called the

argument's logical appeal.

Short-hand version:

• Ethos: Ethical appeal - the source's credibility, the speaker's/author's authority

• Pathos: Emotional appeal - the emotional or motivational appeals; vivid language, emotional language and numerous sensory details.

• Logos: Logical appeal - the logic used to support a claim (induction and deduction); can also be the facts and statistics used to help support the argument.

Persuasive SpeechPersuasive Speech• You will deliver a speech in which you attempt to You will deliver a speech in which you attempt to

PERSUADE your audience to think, believe, or act PERSUADE your audience to think, believe, or act a certain way. a certain way.

• You must complete the appeals outline.You must complete the appeals outline.

• You must incorporate all three of Aristotle’s You must incorporate all three of Aristotle’s appeals – Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.appeals – Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.

• You should consult and reference at least 3 You should consult and reference at least 3 sources in your speech to support your argument.sources in your speech to support your argument.

• Speech will be at least 3 minutes in length.Speech will be at least 3 minutes in length.

• You may use visuals, power point, etc in your You may use visuals, power point, etc in your presentation. The use of visuals is not presentation. The use of visuals is not mandatory.mandatory.