Rhetoric Should Be Taught In Schools Essay

Rhetoric is a course in which students are taught the values of persuasion. And yet, behind this course is the utmost power to corrupt the world, changing it into a world of our own policies. This power, even though seldom discussed, has lead to many intriguing discoveries. One such discovery is how people are able to shape the world they live in simply by choosing the right words. Therefore those who would want the world to be a better place must protect this power. If in the wrong hands this power could cause serious damage. Several authors have striven to protect rhetoric and its power. Few agree on the matter of defining rhetoric, but they know that they must protect rhetoric from dark souls. A single definition of rhetoric must maintain a simplistic nature while incorporating every aspect of rhetoric. However, I argue that rhetoric is a means of persuading audiences of a situation and a particular reality through language and personal appeal. In order to prove this definition I will discuss how rhetoric creates a situation, the shaping of a different reality, the audience, the use of language, and the personal appeal. Finally, I will demonstrate the absolute need for rhetoric.

Rhetoric os a form of communication used to persuad people. The The forms of rhetoric are logic, emotion, and crediability. Using ‘Jeff Flake’s Speech on the Senate Floor’ as my example of rhetoric. I will demonstrate how Flake uses rhetoric to get his political party is worng and should change their way of thinking and behavior.

Rhetoric is the idea of persuasion. Its basic idea is to influence someone to believe in our idea or help understand the message we are trying to deliver. In our daily life we use rhetoric in many places. This includes verbal communication as well as non-verbal communication such as body language and facial expression. In the workplace it can be used to communicate with people effectively.

We use rhetoric every day without even realizing it. Correctly using rhetoric on a specific group of people can drastically increase an arguments’ strength. Benjamin R. Barber wrote an article conveying his research on the failing school systems in the U.S titled America Skips School published in Harper’s Magazine. Barber uses rhetorical elements like ethos, pathos, and logos to build his argument. He establishes his credibility and then emotionally connects with his audience and explains who and what is to blame for the lack of quality education in America. Once he establishes a solid connection using these

As supported by Jay Heinrichs in his book, Thank you For Arguing, rhetoric being a vital skill later in life,. Rhetoric is an important skill because use could become a constant in our lives. A vast array of rhetorical skills can help a student obtain and keep a job once they land in the working world. Therefore, a keen eye and ear for rhetoric can be an invaluable tool in obtaining one’s goals in life.

Rhetoric is something that at least everyone uses in his or her everyday life. Rhetoric can be used in the form of social media, politics and even making the decision on how you are going to communicate. In the Youtube video titled In Defense of Rhetoric: No Longer Just for Liars, Professor, Dr. Ann George states rhetoric as how we persuade each other or how we make arguments. George believes we can do this by the words we use, the gestures we make and the facial appeals that can break down the language and encourage the argument one might be making.

Rhetoric gives you an avenue to tell a story from your perspective in a way that connects with the intended audience without having to be one hundred percent substantiated. This writing style is evident in almost everything we read from billboards to Internet ads and even political speeches.

Rhetoric can be found almost everywhere in life, and is an important part of people’s interactions with each other. Specifically rhetoric has value in career settings and being able to make a sound argument can be especially important when dealing with employers and clients. Building a relationship with a boss is especially important, which Jay Heinrichs discusses in his book, Thank You for Arguing. Heinrichs recalls a job interview, and how one othe the

Imagine discovering the cure for cancer, and then tossing the revolutionary discovery into a blaze of fire. This obliteration has happened to rhetoric, a tool of language that donates life to argument and creates a thriving system of communication for the world. Rhetoric used to be an important aspect of education that could assist students with the teachings of argument and human interaction. Today, rhetoric has become a topic of minimal discussion among ideas that have long since been outdated, and considered archaic to the educational system. In reality, rhetoric exemplifies the human genius and must be taught in schools to further the evolution of human expression.

Rhetoric “...surrounds you,” (Heinrichs, 4) in daily life. Teaching rhetoric in schools could help students recognize how to apply rhetoric and when rhetoric is used. When my mom encourages my siblings to do their homework, she appeals to their logical sense. When they ask for more time to relax before they do their homework, she tells them that if they complete their homework, they can have time to relax and do as they please.

The word rhetoric is a form of literature that is used when one is trying to be effective in speaking and writing. Most people will utilize rhetoric writing at the same time they are trying to write a persuasive essay and not even know it. Not only is it used to persuade but also to motivate the reader on a specific topic or subject. I believe its the most effective style of writing and speaking that there is. This brings me back about two years ago when I wanted a fast sports car for my 17th birthday. I knew it wasn't going to come easy since my parents were very aware of my poor driving habits. This is when I realized I was going to have to be rhetoric, so I did just that. First, I researched all the important safety features the car had.

Without the evolution of rhetoric, today society as a whole would be completely lost. We have evolved into a human that are constantly communicating in different ways, whether that is oral, written, or emotional. We communicate daily for work, with family, and with complete strangers at the gas station. In the Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, and even Modern Time Period they emphasized rhetoric in a political aspect, emphasizing on credibility, arguments, and audience analysis. But what intrigues me is the Contemporary period where they started looking more at the behavior, and interpersonal and group communication because of the rise in technology.

The first chapter introduced the reader to the art of rhetoric. He describes how rhetoric works through real life examples. He demonstrates ways that rhetoric persuades us like, argument from strength, and seduction. He tells the reader that the sole purpose of arguing is to persuade the audience. He showed that the chief purpose of arguing is to also achieve consensus, a shared faith in a choice.

What is the definition of the word rhetoric? One may be led to believe that rhetoric is merely a persuasive tactic used by corrupt lawyers and crooked politicians. However, the proper definition of rhetoric is, “the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.” A simpler definition of rhetoric would be any communication that can be used to change one’s views on a subject. Lynda Barry successfully uses persuasive tactics in her essay “The Sanctuary of School” to engage with her readers who can empathize with finding stability at school as well as those who may not, such as lawmakers, school officials, and the guardians of the children.

Rhetoric is a significant part of our everyday lives. Whether it's convincing our friends to go to a concert on the weekend, to go to a certain place for lunch, or even convincing yourself to do something that you should but don't want to do. Rhetoric is all around us today. Billboard ads, television commercials, newspaper ads, political speeches, even news stories all try, to some degree, to sway our opinion or convince us to take some sort of action. If you take a step back to look and think about it, rhetoric, in all actuality, shapes our lives. Every day we have an array of options of things to do or things to buy. So every day, our opinion or actions are being influenced, however minutely, by rhetoric.