Lesson 1

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Objectives:

Handle any problems with first response/roster pages (may do wiki orientation again for new students)
Field any lingering questions about the syllabus
(Review students' requests from the writing samples collected on the first day)
Introduce rhetoric/argument as a framework for the course
Teach students enthymemes, stasis issues, and the two rhetorical triangles

Notes:

The "Responding to Your Responses" section allows you the chance to emphasize to students that you actually *did* read the writing samples they submitted and are invested in trying to work their requests (regarding the skills they want/need held with and the issues they'd like to discuss) into the course. You might mention that you'll do your best to include some or all of the topics you list (you might even mention when a particular topic might be coming up if you've already worked it in). Similarly, there is a good opportunity to line up the skills they identified with how/when you might be taking these up in class. Much like how in our last meeting I took on two of the queries submitted by you in the first session, you might take up one or more of these specifically at the beginning of a class every couple of weeks or so; alternately, you might simply remind students of the request when one of these skills is under review in a session.
The items backgrounded in yellow below are draw from students' executions of the Response One assignment. Prior to class I skimmed through these responses and selected passages that emphasized three of the five items identified under the "Why These Readings?" heading below. In the section on ethymemes below, I also selected three passages that outlined three different ways of (dis)agreeing with the enthymeme in Gorgias' argument about Helen's culpability. Inserting these quotations from responses will (1) show students that you are reading and taking their responses into consideration, (2) allow you to emphasize how the students are intuitively performing/explicitly anticipating the arguments and argument structures that are under review for today, and (3) encourage students to do a good job on these since you are reading them and they may be shared in future course sessions.
Although this class is largely lecture-driven, you will find three different segments below that don't just invite but require student participation: "Build your own Enthymemes" and the two different exercises under "Building Arguments around Stases." This will help you get class discussion and student volunteering started in the course.

Disciplining Rhetoric

Housekeeping:

Wiki problems?
Syllabus questions? (grading, collaboration, "extra credit": in-class workouts, thunderdomes, "midterm" & "final" challenges)

Agenda:

Review of your first day responses
Review of your responses
Basic building blocks of arguments: enthymemes, stasis protocols, the artistic appeals

Responding to your Responses

Can We Talk?

Interesting/Contemporary Topics
Controversial Topics (Race, Religion, National & International Politics, Legislation & Law, Health Care)
School Issues
Detroit and/or Urban Issues
Philosophy and Ethics

What do you Want?

Expertise in more complex and sophisticated writing styles
Tips and tricks for persuasive writing and for writing longer papers
Preparation for writing in other (more advanced) classes
Vocabulary building
Freedom to write about what we want to write about...

The Methodology behind this class

The Toolbox: acquiring & mastering skills, tips, and tricks

Plato and Gorgias

Why These Readings?

Very difficult
Emphasize that controversies over rhetoric have a long history
Both about and examples of rhetoric: After reading both Gorgias’ Encomium of Helen and the excerpts from Plato’s Gorgias, it is clear to see that the former is an example of the power of rhetoric discussed in the latter. As he is persuading, Gorgias is also able to make a case for the power of speech in defense of Helen. In the conversation between Socrates and Gorgias, Gorgias argues that rhetoric is the power of persuasion in relation to the greatest of human things.
Emphasizes how rhetoric takes place: What I've taken from all these texts is that being persuasive either succeed or fails because of specific ways that the speech was said and presented.
Foregrounds disputes over appearance and reality (particularly the appearance and reality of knowledge or truth) - and its role in rhetorical interaction: I think knowledge is the ultimate form of persuasion. I would be more persuaded by someone who is knowledgable about a subject rather than someone who only sounded knowledgable.

Position 1: Rhetoric as cover for lack of ideas or a way to deceive people

This is in many ways Plato's concern in the Gorgias. In contemporary times, this is the viewpoint behind the most popular, perforative use of the term "rhetoric" - as deceptive or manipulative communication that distorts reality for a partisan purpose. For instance, in addressing the current debate of nationalized healthcare, Ronald Baily uses the title "Rhetoric vs. Reality in the Healthcare Debate" to emphasize his article's major point: that conservative (mis)interpretations of the healthcare legislation under review willfully distorts its use of such terms as "rationing" and "end of life counseling" (the "rhetoric" of these protests ignore or distort the "reality" of the bill itself).

Although Baily's article is (more or less) an example of a someone writing from a liberal viewpoint arguing about the deceptive rhetoric of conservative discourses, we hear the same complaints often issued in the opposite direction. Perhaps most strikingly, in the last presidential campaign, then candidate Obama was often criticized for his persuasive skills. For instance, this Reuter's article - "Obama promises speech with purpose, no mere rhetoric" - catalogues allegations made during his campaign that clever phrasing and a charismatic personality distracted people from an ostensible lack of experience or skill. John McCain pushed this line during one of their debates as well, implying that Obama's "eloquence" was deceptive: "I admire so much Sen. Obama's eloquence,and you really have to pay attention to words. He said we can 'look at' offshore drilling. You got that? 'Look at.' We need to do it now."

Position 2: Rhetoric as a necessary tool for getting ideas across, but far less important than the ideas themselves

Plato provides this more "balanced" view of rhetoric in another dialogue, the Phaedrus. In the "farewell" press conference President Bush last January, he also seemed to endorse this view: "I have often said that history will look back and determine that which could have been done better, or, you know, mistakes I made. Clearly putting a 'Mission Accomplished' on a aircraft carrier was a mistake. It sent the wrong message. We were trying to say something differently, but nevertheless, it conveyed a different message. Obviously, some of my rhetoric has been a mistake."

Position 3: Rhetoric as, at least in many cases, equally if not more important than content/ideas

This is the fairly radical view put forward by Gorgias in his Encomium. Gorgias both attempts to "do the impossible," to "defend the indefensible" through the power of rhetoric and, at the same time, emphasize that rhetoric is very powerful - like physical force, like a drug, etc.

Illustrates many of the tools we be talking about today (enthymemes, stasis questions, the rhetorical triangle).

The Rhetorical Toolbox: Basic Building Blocks for Arguments

The Enthymeme

Components of the Enthymeme: The claim, the stated reason, the unstated assumption (and, when necessary, grounds for these assumptions - this component is important to keep in mind as it is often the most vulnerable part of an enthymeme and the one most often attacked by opponents)

Famous Enthymemes

All humans are mortal, so Socrates is mortal.

Claim: Socrates is mortal
Stated reason: all humans are mortal
Unstated assumption: because Socrates is a human

The glove doesn't fit, so you must acquit

Claim: the defendant should be acquitted
Stated reason: because the glove does not fit
Unstated assumption: because the glove was used by the murderer and therefore must fit on the murderer's hand
Grounds: proof that the glove was used in the commission of the crime, proof that the glove does not fit, that the glove has not changed size and shape, that the hand of the defendant has not changed size or shape...

An Enthymeme From Our Readings

Helen should not be condemned "For either by will of Fate and decision of the gods and vote of Necessity did she do what she did, or by force reduced or by words seduced or by love possessed."

Claim: Helen should not be condemned
Stated reason: because she was compelled by will of Fate, decision of the gods, vote of necessity, force, seduction by words, or love"
Unstated assumption: People should not be culpable for actions that were beyond their control.

I don't think one can blame Helen for what she did. I believe anyone would do anything if they fell in love or they were persuaded by something.
I don't think Helen should be left completely un-blamed if she fell in love or it was fate that caused this infidelity. On the other hand, if Helen was raped or persuaded by speech, the complete blame should be placed upon Alexander.
With the exception of being "compelled by force," I don't agree with Gorgias' argument that Helen should be releived of all guilt. Even if the infidelity was caused by Fate, persuasion, or love, we can't let her off of the hook. Otherwise, we would have to exonerate anyone who did anything for these reasons, which would be a dangerous decision.

Build your own Enthymemes:

Women should be allowed to join combat units because the image of women in combat would help eliminate gender stereotypes.

Claim: women should be allowed to join combat units
Stated reason: because the image of women in combat would help eliminate gender stereotypes
Unstated assumption(?):
Grounds(?):

Women should not be allowed to join combat units...

Claim: women should not be allowed to join combat units
Stated reason:
Unstated assumption:
Grounds(?):

Cocaine and heroin should be legalized...

Claim: cocaine and heroin should be legalized
Stated reason:
Unstated assumption:
Grounds(?):

Breaking it Down Again: Types of Questions and Claims

The Stasis Procedures

Definitional/Categorial: Is X a Y?

Disagreement over the nature of a thing or its inclusion in a category (occurs when one disagrees over the definition of either X or Y)

Is Pluto a planet?
Are the detainees at Guatanomo prisoners of war? Are they criminals?
From the Gorgias: What is rhetoric? Is rhetoric an art? A Science?

Evaluative: Is X good or bad? Is X a good or bad Y?

Disagreement over values, importance, or worthiness

Were the federal "bank bailouts" a good idea?
Are wikis an appropriate tool for classroom use?
From the Gorgias: Is the teaching of rhetoric bad for society? Does it prevent justice or knowledge?

Resemblance Is X like Y?

Is Internet addiction like drug addiction?
Is the Iraq war like the Vietnam war?
From the Gorgias: Is rhetoric like cooking? Flattery? Gymnastics?

Cause/Consequence Will X cause Y? Is X caused by Y?

Will decriminalizing marijuana reduce crime?
Will raising the minimum wage increase unemployment?
From the Gorgias: If rhetoric and philosphy are confused, will this hurt society, causing "Chaos" as "cookery, health, and medicine would mingle in an indiscrimante mass?"

Proposal Should be (not) do X?

Should gay marriage be legalized?
Should teenage murder defendants be tried as adults?
From the Gorgias: Should teachers of rhetoric be held responsible for the misdeeds of their students?

Building Arguments around the Stases

Example one: theft

Pretend you've stolen something and use the stasis protocols to argue why you should not be punished for this action:

Definition/Categorical?
Evaluation?
Resemblance?
Cause/Consequence?

Example two (proposal argument):

Eating disorders (such as anorexia and bulimia) should be covered by general health insurance.

Definitional/Categorical?
Evaluation?
Resemblance?
Cause/Consequence?

Triangulating: Contexts and Appeals

The Rhetorical Triangle (audience, author/speaker, message)

Persuasion occurs through a transactional process involving three major vectors (in a manner similar to the processes of feedback in nature and technology). A rhetor crafts a messagedesigned to persuade a particular audience and then (often) responds dynamically to the reactions of that audience, thus altering their message.

Examples from our texts:

Gorgias' monologue has little dynamic input from a very diverse audience, thus requiring a blunderbuss approach (either fate, divine intervention, love, seduction, force, etc.)

Socrates' dialogue has much input from his audience, and thus he shifts strategy throughout and refers back to his interlocutors' earlier comments in making claims.

Upshots

Rhetorically sound arguments must be accomodated to their audience
Though truth may exist, there are multiple registers for validating claims

The artistic appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) (Good Reasons 17-18)

Rhetoric often takes place through the use of one more of the artistic appeals: ethos (persuasion based on the character, expertise, or ethics of the speaker), logos (persuasion based on "logical" reasoning and often quantifiable grounds and evidence), and pathos (persuasion that manipulates or exploits an audience's emotions or affective capacities)

Building Arguments around the Artistic Appeals

Rhetorical Challenge: Though the historical cirumstances are very different, former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, like Helen, is a public figure who dramatically fell out of favor. As an optional assignment write a defense of Kilpatrick - an argument for why we should think better of him than we do - on the Encomium to Kwame page. This is an optional assignment, so you don't have to do it. If you do though, you'll "bank" a response, meaning you can skip one of our assigned responses in the future. We'll talk about these responses in class on Tuesday.