Tuesday, January 20, 2009
January 10, 2009
Today’s Agenda:
Over the past week, we have thought about different kinds of arguments we might encounter on a day-to-day basis.
Today we are going to begin the process of learning how to efficiently summarize academic arguments that we encounter in writing.
However, before we can do that, we first need to become familiar with these kinds of arguments.
Open your books to page 618. On that page, you will find an article entitled, “Those Unnerving Ads using ‘Real’ Women.”
I want you to read and annotate this article. As you annotate, I want you to be looking for answers to the following questions.
1) Who is writing this article? What is his or her name and profession? Who are they writing to? Is there an event that this article is written in response to? If so, what was it?
2) Does the author use any technical jargon or academic lingo that an average reader may not be familiar with? If so, what are these words and phrases, and what do you think their definitions are?
3) What are the basic questions that the author addresses in this piece?
4) What is the fundamental question this author addresses?
5) What is the author’s thesis?
6) What are the author’s basic claims, and what is the evidence the author uses to back up those claims?
After we answer these questions, we can move on into the first major project for this course.
In the professional world, you will often find yourself needing to summarize complex arguments in writing for people who simply do not have time to read the actual argument.
In order to accomplish this task effectively, you will need to be able to write a certain kind of summary document, a précis (pronounced PRAY-SEE).
There are three simple parts to a précis. Let’s think about this briefly:
The point of a précis is to lay out an argument for an audience who needs to know about the argument without reading the entire ten, twelve or twenty page document.
We have to inform the audience on the argument without “dumbing it down” or oversimplifying it!
To write a précis, you will need to incorporate direct quotations from an article to express those points that are better articulated by the author than you yourself could articulate them.
You will sometimes need to use words in quotes to emphasize the author’s original tone. It is hugely important to show an author’s bias without commenting on it and editorializing, without using “I” anywhere in this piece.
You will need to paraphrase quite a bit in this document, and can expect to use phrases like “according to….” or “X claims” every couple of lines.
The point here is to report on the author’s thoughts and comments, and to leave your own opinions at the door (there will be time enough for voicing your opinions in the future).
Once we are clear on those points, we can move on.
The Précis (Pray-SEE)
There are three simple sections to a précis: Situation, Issue, and Thesis. In each of these sections we break down different parts of an argument.
While each section has its own rules and expectations, there are certain expectations you will have to follow all the way through the précis.
Each section should be titled as such. This is okay in a précis.
Situation
- The very beginning of your précis.
- It should lay out what the audience needs to know about the author, the full title (including subtitle), and whatever publication info you have in MLA style (except for the author’s name which should be done first name first). In this case, the MLA-style is that of a work cited entry for a work in an anthology. You will be responsible for locating this information.
- Next, you need to establish the basic context for the writing: who is writing it (what do we know about the author and or his or her position, profession etc), to whom are they addressing the piece (audience), when was it written, and whether there is any particular EVENT that has driven this response. Some arguments may have this, some may not. You can expect to take the better part of a paragraph to convey this information.
- Remember, you are situating the writing for an audience who WILL NOT READ THE FULL ARTICLE. What general information do they need to know about it?
Let’s begin to write a Situation section for the article we just read, “Those Unnerving Ads using ‘Real’ women.”
You will be able to draw off of some of your answers from our earlier writing to do this. You will probably also need to revisit the book.
The next section we need to consider is the Issue section. Here is how that portion of the s document works.
Issue
- The author may use technical jargon or academic lingo in the argument. You need to begin your ISSUE section by defining these terms for the reader. Clarify for the ready any terms or phrases you think may cause him or her difficulty. We do this in paragraph, as opposed to bullet point or list, form.
- Lay out the basic questions that the author addresses (NOT the answers).
- END WITH THE MAJOR ISSUE QUESTION. The major issue question is the question the author attempts to answer with his or her thesis.
Again, let’s try to answer as much of this as possible with the answers we generated at the beginning of class. You will probably also need to revisit the document for information you may have missed the first time through.
Once we have finished the Issues section, we can move on to the THESIS section.
Thesis
- Begin with the author’s THESIS appears (the answer to the major issue question.)
- It is also where the other claims and evidence for those claims (as well as the major claim) will appear.
- This is the lion’s share of the précis.
Project groups:
You now need to form yourselves into editing groups. Editing groups consist of 3-4 people, you need to share e-mail addresses with one another, if you do not use first class.
Homework:
As will always be the case, your homework for the week is divided into assignments for this coming THURSDAY and this coming TUESDAY.
The THURSDAY assignments are due prior to the close of business on Thursday (5 PM), and the TUESDAY documents are due before class on Tuesday.
Homework can be completed at ANY TIME prior to those deadlines, but it must be completed by then.
Homework for THIS THURSDAY:
Complete and your draft of the précis for “Those Unnerving Ads Using ‘Real’ Women.” Page 618. E-mail – do not post – your draft to your editing group members. Editing group members will review and comment on your draft. They will comment on what you are doing right, and what they think you are doing wrong. Editors,you can expect to write a couple of paragraphs per edit. Make sure you e-mail corrections back to your group members no later than FRIDAY by the close of business.
Read Chapter 2: Arguments from the Heart – Pathos 45-58.
Blog: Write a 1.5 page blog post on the following topic:
Clearly identify and describe in detail a pathos-based argument that you have encountered recently. What was the argument? How was the argument designed to appeal to your emotions? Did this appeal work? If so, why? If not, why not?
Homework For NEXT TUESDAY:
Edit and submit your précis on “Those Unnerving Ads Using ‘Real’ Women” directly to me at crowleya@fc.husson.edu. I will be grading these documents.
Read: Arguments Based on Character — Ethos
Blog: Write a 1.5 page blog post on the following topic:
Clearly identify and describe in detail a ethos-based argument that you have encountered recently. What was the argument? How was the argument designed to appeal to an understanding of character? If so, why? If not, why not?
For class: PRINT OFF AND BRING WITH YOU THREE COPIES of a complete précis for “The Oblivious Empire” by Mark Hertsgaard, page 1015-1025. We will be work shopping these together. This is a longer documents. I suggest you read and annotate for the important precis information first, and only then attempt to organize that information into the actual precis.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know in a timley manner. I look forward to reading your work.
[...] Tuesday, Jan 20 [...]
Arguments occur on numerous occasions through out a person’s day. One common argument is Pathos-based. A Pathos-based argument is also known as an emotional appeal and they are very powerful in influencing a person’s belief. Usually the arguments that tackle your emotions are the more successful arguments. These arguments are based on a person’s feelings and this is what makes them so powerful.
I recently encountered a Pathos-based argument. I was in the doctor’s office waiting to be seen. They have this wall slot with a variety of pamphlets available to the public while they are in the waiting room. I casually grabbed a bunch of them, not paying any attention to the headlines. As I scrolled through I read about Birth Control Options, Alzheimer’s, Domestic Abuse, HIV/Aids, and then there was one on drunk driving. This was very random. I read through the different reasons why you shouldn’t drink and drive and how you can do jail time. Then I saw a before and after picture of this woman. The before picture was a beautiful woman had the face of a supermodel. The after picture made my stomach turn. It didn’t even resemble a face, let alone her perfect face. This woman was driving drunk and got into a horrific accident. She completely mutilated her face. I wanted to cry. I always knew it was against the law to drink and drive and you defiantly could get into an accident, that’s just common sense.
This argument was designed to make you feel sympathy. Not only that, but to see first hand what can really happen to you if you drink and drive. It really made me think, hey that could happen to me if I make that decision. And quite personally, I don’t want any of my body completely mutilated. I feel sorry for that woman but I also know that it was her decision and I’m sure she regrets it beyond any belief. She’s exposing herself to the world to show people what her stupid decision caused. Seeing the difference between the before picture with the gorgeous face to the after with mutilation makes you sick to your stomach.
This appeal was a definite success. Using something that hits your emotion is a very powerful thing and I mentioned that before. Not only did this make you sad and somewhat scared, but it was also an actual event and that plays a role as well. To me a Pathos-based argument is the most convincing probably because of situations like these. I never really was afraid of drunk driving before I saw that pamphlet. And it’s not like I didn’t have assemblies at school where they talked to you about it. I did but they weren’t a Pathos-based argument. The pictures of this woman were so severe and knowing her normal life was over because of one stupid mistake. This little pamphlet changed my outlook on drunk driving forever.
Karina Durrell
Due Thursday
Many people deal with arguments that have to do with their emotions. It can be an ad that they saw on television such as a commercial for save the children. It can be something small also like shopping and buying a shirt because you just saw something so cute about it that you had to buy it. These arguments can also be life changing and difficult for you. For example, when you have a boyfriend that everyone else doesn’t seem to like but you stay with him because that is what your heart is telling you to do. An argument that I have had recently based on my feelings is a video on youtube about meth.
My roommate and I were just talking about how our days were and just having a casual talk. She then told me that she saw this really intense video in one of her classes. I asked her what it was about and she told me meth. When I heard that I was like, oh, I know that is bad for you. I didn’t realize how influential the video was going to be. As she talked about it, she told me that I should watch it also. I asked her what it was called and she said, “meth = death”. I started to watch it and instantly my stomach turned. I was speechless, and I didn’t know what to say or do. I realized that I never wanted to have an experience like the one I just saw in the online video.
When it was over, I looked at her and just couldn’t believe how I was feeling after the video. I always knew meth wasn’t good for you and that you shouldn’t do it. I never realized what it actually did to you. In the video, it showed this pretty, young girl with a bunch of friends. They left for a couple of months and when they came back the girl had turned into something incredibly different. She had sores all over her body. She was a new person. The friends didn’t like that and they didn’t know how to handle it. Meth doesn’t only change you and how you are. It affects the people around you. She lost all of her friends because of her actions. It made me feel sympathy for her and also scared for all of those people that do it. I never really thought of what would happen to me if my friends or I got into a situation like this.
This video was very successful. Seeing an argument like this was an influential thing. I felt like I saw a side of drugs that I never want to see again. I knew drugs were bad and they affected many people, but I never really thought about it or saw it. Emotional appeals are very strong arguments and stand out the most for me. They make you feel a certain way and it could be a feeling that you never really had until you see something. Seeing this has changed my views on drugs and how your decisions affect the people around you.
Matt Thebarge
Pathos: Arguments from the Heart
Among the many different types of arguments there is one that revolves and is based strongly on our feelings. This is the Pathos type of argument. These arguments can range anywhere from a campaign ad on the television, throwing slander at the opposing candidate to the ringing of the bells around Christmas time by the Salvation Army, hopefully awaiting your donations. Pathos arguments, like any other type of argument are all around the world we live in.
An experience that I recently had dealing with a pathos argument happened to me on my way home from class the other day. I had just gotten out of my chemistry lab and was driving back home since my classes were over for the day. On the way home, I normally listen to music but today I chose to listen to sports radio. The Tirico and Van Pelt radio show had gone to break when an ad came on the radio. This add talked about a man sitting in an office was approached by a fellow coworker. The fellow coworker, in his amazement, realized that the man’s hair was on fire. The coworker proceeded to tell this man about his hair being completely ablaze while the man just sat there and continued to work. The man told the coworker that he would take care of it when he was done, in a calm and collective voice. While the coworker continued to freak out, the man continued to work. At the end of the ad, a woman’s voice comes on brings out the main idea of this commercial which was that some people ignore important signs, like that of a stroke. She then listed certain symptoms and said that if you know anyone who experiences these you should get them help because they may need it.
This pathos argument I feel did worked. It first grasped you with curiosity and then added a touch of humor. I honestly will admit that I wasn’t slapping my knee or wiping a tear from my eye to the thought of the commercial, but there was enough there to keep me intrigued into what the commercial really was about. After it had me listening, I was really curious to what the ad was going to be for, not realizing it was going to touch on a serious subject. The commercial hit you with what was really at hand, how serious strokes and signs of strokes truly are and having a grandfather, who suffered from a severe stroke, the commercial hit home. By listing the signs of a stroke, it allows people to look for those things if one of their loved ones ever suffers from what my grandfather suffered from.
Pathos arguments really touch upon your emotions. Some of them you may not be able to connect with while others, like the service announcement I herd on the radio, do hit upon your emotions allowing you to relate and feel for the topic at hand.
Nate Adams
1-21-09
Rhetoric and Composition II
Pathos-Based Argument
A pathos argument is an emotion filled disagreement between two sides that comes from the heart, or what someone believes very strongly about. The last pathos argument I encountered was a disagreement about the National Basketball Association. I am a very emotional Boston Celtics fan. I have stuck with my team even when they were last in the Atlantic Conference.
My friend is a Los Angeles Lakers fan. After the Celtics parade in Boston, with hundreds and thousands of people celebrating a historical run, he wore an anti-Celtics t-shirt. The shirt said, “Boston Sucks!” I was angry, and confused. My team had just won the championship, and he was still trying to bash my team. Maybe this was a sign of grieving, trying to get the lose in the finals off his mind. But what really bothered me was the first words that came out of his mouth. He had dozens upon dozens of reasons why the Celtics should not have won the finals. This was very emotional for me because my team had finally won a championship, and someone was bashing my team, along with all the other so called band wagon fans.
The ultimate come-back for any Boston Celtics fan in this situation is to say, “They won, and the Lakers lost, deal with it.” But being the emotional Celtics fan I am, I went up and down the roster, and told him how the match ups were in the favor of the Celtics. In the end, I won the argument because of my team winning the championship, but if the tables were turned and the Lakers won, I would have said maybe next year, and not have made excuses.
What started the fight was the anti-Celtics shirt. When I first glanced at the shirt, a lot of highlight reels played back in my head of the 2007-08 season. I couldn’t believe anyone would wear a shirt like that, especially right after they had just won the championship.
This appeal worked, because the shirt was designed to be negative towards the Celtics, and their fans. For instance, Boston fans wore, “Beat L.A!” shirts to the finals, which relived their past rivalries.
I never thought at the time I was having a pathos argument with my friend. I just thought of the situation as obscured and ridiculous. I know I have had more pathos arguments in my life, but the Boston Celtics are such a big part of my life, and emotionally involved. The shirt was stitched to make a statement, and get the attention of the right group of people. Many emotions ran through my body when I first looked at this shirt. But overall, this shirt reminds me of how the Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers in game 6 of the NBA finals.
There are different ways one can appeal to an audience in an argument, one of these ways of appeal is a pathos-based argument. This type of argument is associated with using emotional appeal to sustain an argument; this can be seen on TV attack ad campaign, commercial ads, and so on. Pathos – based argument is powerful in influencing what people think and believe, because most of the time we make decisions based on our feelings.
I encountered a pathos based argument just recently. I was searching for a topic online when all of a sudden my pointer stopped moving, I started moving my mouse around and clicking on it so hard because I was impatient and I wanted to continue with what I was doing, when I discovered I had mistakenly clicked on another link and a new window was opening up. I was almost closing this new window when this picture in an article cut my eye. It was a picture of a beautiful girl and then beside it was a picture of this scary looking person.
The article was on the story of a girl who started doing drugs at the age of 18. It talked about how she graduated from high school at the age of sixteen with honors, and as the valedictorian of her class, and then she went off to college. While in college she started feeling left out because she felt that she had never really belonged socially in any were all her life. Through out her high school she was always focused on her education and never really did anything for fun, even on weekends when people would hang out and do fun things, she was either working or at home studying.
When she got to college it was the same thing, even during the summer she’d attend summer school through out, until her junior year when she decided to slow things down a bit and start having fun. She figured that she had some time considering that she graduated from high school at 16 and at 18 she was a junior in college. Things didn’t turn out so great for her when she started hanging out with bad group of friends, and due to peer pressure started doing drugs. She became so addicted to drugs that she could not go a day without it. This addiction made her drop out of college, she got into all sorts of trouble, went to jail a couple of times, lost contact with her loved ones, she even got pregnant once, she had the baby but doesn’t know were the baby is now. After thirteen years of addiction she decided to clean up her act, and now she goes around talking to people about the effect of drugs on us humans, and she is still trying to get her life back in order.
From reading this article one could just come up with the summary that drug isn’t good for your body, but that was not just the only point they tried to convey, at the end of it they talked about how important it is to be yourself, know who you really are and most importantly be able to trust yourself, because when you are able to do all this you can overcome peer pressure, and also figuring this things about yourself helps you know what is right and what is wrong. I feel like the article was successful in appealing my emotion, because I was drawn into the article by just the picture, seeing the beautiful face of that girl turn into something so hideous, got my attention and made me want to know what happened, also in finding what happened to her and the way she ruined her life I learnt more than one thing from the article through appealing of emotion – that drug is bad, and that most importantly we should all be ourselves and know who we really are.
Melissa Breton
There can be three types of arguments based by pathos, logos, and ethos.
The pathos-based arguments show great emotion. Being emotional touches deep down where not only the people start to listen, but they act on what is happening around them. Recently the most compelling for me was seen on TV. When you hear these emotional commercials you can’t help but give them your full attention, because of the words and pictures that are chosen.
While on Christmas break I was watching a House episode on USA. House and his team dealt with a man living in constant pain. Foreman was working in the clinical and helping test for Huntington’s disease. About halfway though the episode a commercial came on. I am not big on commercials, normally when one comes on, I go get a drink, or something to eat. I was about halfway to the kitchen and saw this commercial. It was about the Christian children’s fund. They used images of small children walking, and playing in dirty living conditions. As you saw these pictures they stated how the child has never attended school, and hasn’t received vaccinations to prevent childhood diseases. Also for every dollar you donated they would match it with $4.43. They were hoping you would “pick up the phone” to help sponsor a child.
This touched my heart. It made me feel thankful for what I received from my family and others around me. I got to have a great public education where I succeeded,
my parents made sure I had all my shots, and anything else I may of needed thought-out the years. Seeing this commercial made me want those poor innocent children to have the same things I got to had received when I was younger. They didn’t get to choose, where they live, or who was going to take care of them. There is no reason why they shouldn’t have the same things most American children have today.
Commercials like these show people how much they owe to others. When you see others struggling, it makes you want to help out and give a hand. You’ve seen their pain, and it is as if you have that same pain, like you were the person to begin with. Pathos-based arguments show great emotion to lead to agreement on ones beliefs.
Julie R
Rhetoric and Composition II
Adam Crowley
1/22/09
Pathos Arguments
Once again we are faced with another type of argument, one that I can see being used in many commercials, or as fundraisers for a specific cause. There are many ways of using the Pathos approach to an argument. Emotion plays a huge role. Mainly emotion is used to build bridges in the argument, in the book everything’s an argument page 51 it states “If you strike the right emotional note you’ll establish an important connection.” This goes along with another layer of Pathos which is using arguments from the heart, arguments that can be backed up with a heart wrenching story that will persuade the reader otherwise. The last layer to Pathos is humor.
The latest argument I have gone through where I have had to use Pathos’s technique was getting my boyfriend to check out schools in Maine so we would be closer together. So my boyfriend and I have been together for a little over 2 years and we have had to do long distance on and off throughout these years. We have gotten used to it. We met in boarding school in NH and when he went to BU for college I was devastated. But after doing long distance form NC to NH all summer long only seeing each other once a month I knew Boston would be no problem. We switched just about every other weekend I would go down he would come up. When the end of the year came and he decided to take a year of leave to figure out what he wanted to do with his life I was heart broken once again the distance from NC to ME is much greater than ME to MA. We lived together through the summer and dreading the day that would come when we had to say good bye. We were no longer going to be just 5 hours away from each other. The year started off really tough breaking up getting back together trying to find time for each other in our polar opposite schedules and busy lives was extremely challenging. But we were determined and although things were rocky Steven always put in the SUPER effort to make sure we could see each other when ever we could, he came up for Thanksgiving with my family I went down for Christmas with his family… During Thanksgiving we had a tremendously huge fight and I thought things were over forever. I was feeling bad for myself and my emotions over took me to win him back!! We talked about what love was. And I rightly said there is no point in being so young and so committed if we are not going to be around each other. He countered that with well if you can promise me blah blah blah then there is no way we can be together after living apart for four years. I then pulled the well if you love my why don’t you come to Maine for school. I have things started there you are unsure of what you want. There is no reason that we can not be together and make things a little easier. He agreed to just visit schools up this way. And come to find out there are actually school that fit him and might be the “perfect fit”. So I used my heart of love and my emotion of broken to get him to rethink what could work out the best. Although I may have not “won” I’m so blessed to have someone that loves me so much to even consider moving his life to make it easier for us.
Samantha Rivers
January 21, 2009
“Arguments from the Heart- Pathos”
Pathos based emotional arguments can be seen every day. When used correctly, pathos arguments can be very effective because they are aimed right at your emotions. We have all seen these types of arguments made on a constant basis. Think of all the ads on T.V. where they show a poor town in Africa with kids who are malnourished; and for just a dollar a day, you can feed a whole family for a year. Not all pathos arguments are to make you feel sad. Some of these types of arguments are based on humor and can get the same effect as a sad argument. As long as the viewer feels any sort of emotion, the job is accomplished. The most recent pathos argument I have encountered was not sad or humorous at all. The argument I witnessed happened two days ago, and it was an empowering speech that left me with goose bumps.
I am sure you obviously know I am talking about the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama as my last pathos argument I have encountered. Barack’s argument was how he could help lead this country out of crises in a time when we need it the most. He talked about all the sacrifices over the course of history people have made to make our nation great. In the book Everything’s an Argument, there is a piece that mentions when you hear something that hits just the right spot you experience a “chill down your spine.” I can definitely say I had that happen a few times while listening to President Obama’s speech. I think the part that got me the most was when he said, “To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”
I think any time Obama speaks, he appeals to the emotions because he is such a great speaker. He also knows how to get his point across the right way for people to understand and identify with. It is very easy to relate to Obama; and because it is simple, sometimes your emotions can come out in the process. Having an argument relate to the emotions is a very effective way to get the point across. Just being told something over and over again gets to be very mundane so people tend to shut it out. If the argument relates to our emotions there will be more probability of success. Maybe at times some arguments can be a little overkill on playing to the emotions, so whoever is making the argument needs to be aware of that. Overall, I think the best type of argument to make is pathos based because it makes the viewer a little vulnerable and more open to listen.
Many people in today’s society deal with an emotional argument. Emotional appeals are also called pathos and are powerful tools for influencing what people think and believe. Everyone in some time of point will have to face a personally emotional argument. Some types of emotional arguments are like commercials. Some commercials that deal with emotions are ones asking for donations for staving children, ones talking about children who need homes, ones that talk about animals for the human society, and other like when there per swaying a mother to quit cigarettes for the wellbeing and health of her unborn child plus many others. These arguments can be some of the most difficult and powerful arguments you might face in your entire life for the main reason that both you and your opponent feel really strongly about the issues.
One argument I had to fight my case in was while I was working at dick sporting goods about the thanksgiving holiday season which is one of the most busiest times of the year. During that season dick sporting goods teams up with the Saint Jude Children’s Cancer Research fund which is something I strongly support. While working I was required to ask people if they would like to make a donation. To me this is an emotional argument because I pushed the customer by throwing out facts about the children trying to argue my opinion and express my emotions. One day while working I went though my normal dialog asking for the donation and a customer rudely stated that his full donation wouldn’t matter because the children are already going to be dead by time they get the money. His statement not only offended me but made me extremely angry. I used a pathos and emotional argued my case. I asked him if he knew anything about St. Jude’s and he said no. That was my first step to my emotional argument, stating facts about St. Jude’s. I asked the customer if he knew that St. Jude was a non funded organization that only ran off from donations. I told him about how no children is turned away no matter what type of treatment they need. I told him that before companies joined with the foundations only 4 children would survive the battle with cancer a year. And now because of the generosity of the customers at the companies 98 percent of children survived the battle with cancer. This argument was considered an emotional argument because I dealt with passion and drive.
Nate Adams
1-22-09
Rhetoric and Composition II
Ethos
Ethos is to recognize character or beliefs of a certain person or group. Ethos can be involved in politics, sports, and everyday life. An ethos argument can be a serious argument, or be noncontroversial.
I have encountered plenty of ethos arguments in my life. For one example, coming off my freshman year of pitching, I was ready to make a bid for the number one spot in the rotation. This one game was the state championship, and my coach was having a difficult time making the final decision of whether or not to start the sophomore, or start the senior ace.
I had experience with pitching my whole life, and my velocity in my fastball was reaching 80 mph, as a sophomore. The current ace of the pitching staff was a better shortstop then he was a pitcher and could play excellent defense. I told my coach that I could really help the team out by being the starting pitcher for the team, and would overall make our defense that much better. I had solutions to our defensive problems, as well as the pitching situation.
Luckily for me, the coach decided to start me in the state championship. This would give me more experience than I could ever handle in high school baseball. We ended up winning the game 4-2, and both the shortstop and I pitched.
I had made a non confrontational argument with my coach about who should start and why. I had evidence on why I should start. The defense would have been top notch, our batting line-up would stay the same, and I could throw with great accuracy, so whatever the coach wanted to call for a pitch, I could hit the target.
This argument appealed character to my coach as well as me. This showed my coach that I was ready to take on the challenge and that I knew in the back of my mind I could get the job done. This also showed me that my coach had faith in his players, with starting a somewhat inexperienced high school pitcher. He made an announcement to all of the players of why he was starting me over a shortstop, which showed me that my coach had very good communication with all of my teammates.
Ethos arguments are arguments that serve purposes. These arguments have evidence to support their claims. No matter how big or small the argument, ethos arguments can happen.
Tiffany L
Rhetoric and Composition II
1/22/09
Pathos Argument
People encounter arguments everyday of their life. A most common argument that people see, happens to be a Pathos-based argument. A Pathos-based Argument is also referred to as an emotional appeal, and it can be a very powerful thing when trying to persuade others of your belief. These types of arguments play off of people’s emotional feelings, making them really powerful. For example on page 51, in the book everything’s an argument, Steve Jobs told his audience at the commencement address the story of his life, and how he had founded the Apple company, but then later get fired for having a fight with the person that he had hired to run it. Steve used his own personal story to stir the emotional feelings of sympathy from the audience.
I just recently encountered a Pathos-based argument. I was sitting in my room doing some homework, when a commercial for ASPCA came on. They started showing pictures of dogs and cats that had been badly abused by their owner. Most of these animals either had their ribs showing, or looked really sad, and scared. While watching this commercial, I began to feel really bad for those animals. It made me want to go out and adpot one that had been abused, so that it would have a good, safe home to go to. It was really heart wrenching to watch these animals be in so much pain, because I love animals so much. I have two cats and two dogs at home that mean so much to me, and I would never want anything bad to happen to them. I always knew that some people abused their animals, but seeing those pictures really made it seem more realistic to me. It made me nauseous to think that there are sick people out there that would actually do harmful things to their animals on purpose.
This appeal definitely worked. When you use something that strikes your emotion, it’s going to be a very powerful thing and people are really going to listen. This appeal really uses your emotion by making you sad, and really sympathetic to the animals who have been hurt, and abused by someone that they thought that they could trust, which is their owner. I personally think that Pathos-based arguments are the most convincing because they use your emotions to their advantage. I never really knew just how many animals were being abused every year until I saw this commercial. The pictures were so heart wrenching that it has really made my realize how many heartless people there are, and that people abuse animals severely every single day.
Nick Gimbel
Pathos Argument
A pathos based argument is an argument in which the emotional tug upon each side of the issue is what brings the point across or if both sides are equally emotionally involved it could come as a stalemate where both sides do not want to give in. An argument which involves someone emotions can be nigh impossible to win since the emotional feeling someone has gives the person a relation to the issue. This makes them unable to back down to the issue.
An pathos based argument or an argument from the heart in which I have encountered recently would probably bring me back to around September and October of last year. I am a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan and if anyone knows sports they will obviously understand the emotional toll of that endeavor. Since I live in a heavily populated Boston Red Sox society, I am under, at times, ridicule because, well the Cubs tend to blow any chance they ever receive nine times out of ten. So this year, I felt the Cubs had a chance. They were leading the division and were only getting further ahead. My friend and I always would have discussion about the potential playoff picture, and I felt confident that this year may be the year. So I argued with my friend vehemently in defense of the Cubs and how they would not screw it up this year. Day to day, we would go over the last couple games and he would give reasons why they would lose and I would rebut with why they would win. This daily task went on until the regular season was over and the Cubs were well ahead in the division and were being predicted to at least win the first round. I still felt that this year was going to be the year for a World Series Championship.
Throughout this time frame of arguing with emotions and backing it up with solid facts, I became incredibly excited for the playoffs to begin. I wanted to, for once, be able to be a fan of the best team in the league. I hoped and waited and alas, the Cubs failed once again. My arguments were done, I was proved wrong again. I can only say that next year, while the Cubs are (hopefully) in the race for the division, I will be arguing again with emotion to try and prove they are good enough to compete for a World Series Championship. I am emotionally attached to this team and will not back off an argument against them. It proves the aforementioned point of nothing winning a pathos argument. I won’t ever give in that the Cubs are a substandard team. Ever.
Julie-Anne Moore
Pathos-based arguments are categorized as such not because of what they are trying to influence one to do, but how they are influencing, through emotions. These arguments can be the most effective, as they relate an issue directly to the listener. They “get under one’s skin” and truly make one think about the issue that is being presented. However, as it is an argument, it only tries to convict. Though people often try to make important decisions based upon logic, their emotions oftentimes get involved, leading to a different conclusion. As human beings, we are made to feel emotions, something which activists and companies know very well. With this knowledge, they sell their product or convey their own convictions, and, if they know how to influence others’ emotions, are successful in their pathos-based arguments.
People can express their personality, beliefs, and achievements in more ways now than ever before. A popular form of these expressions is the bumper sticker. These stickers are made to be eye-catching and so that anyone can get a glimpse at what the car owner is like. Notwithstanding, there are also more serious stickers that touch upon moral issues. They get one thinking, convicting the observer via a pathos-based argument.
Recently, I read a bumper sticker that served as a pathos-based argument. As I was walking from the store, trying to avoid potholes filled with slush, I looked up and noticed a bumper sticker on the back of an SUV. On one side there was a picture of a cute baby seal and on the other, a picture of an unborn baby. Between these visuals it asked “Can you guess which one is protected?” That question stopped me in my tracks. I knew it was true: our society outcries when it hears baby seals are dying, but remains silent as babies are killed every day via abortion. It made me wonder what our society had become, where we would put the welfare of animals before that of unborn babies. I questioned myself whether we as a society are willing to cut off the life of a baby who has not had a chance to live so that we can save a few animals?
All at once, I felt angry that our society would let this happen, sad that it is happening, and embarrassed by the seeming lack of morals in our society. The argument had succeeded in convincing me that this nation’s morals are askew and that we need to protect babies from abortion, though I have always been pro-life. This sticker had hinged its argument upon the fact that environmentalism has become a major part of our society. With our environmental conscience on the rise, due to its appeal to compassion, many Americans feel a degree of self-satisfaction. Therefore, the activists that created this sticker chose to attack this sense of self-assurance, desiring to embarrass the American ego that believes we hav selflessly taken care of everything important. Perhaps if the American public was embarrassed enough, the activists believe that this conviction could later lead to action against abortion. As to whether this argument will convince pro-choice supporters to join the pro-life movement, there is little hope. Unfortunately the American sense of compassion has hardened and become almost useless in fighting for the life of a baby. Thus, this pathos-based argument cannot appeal to something that is in some nonexistent.
Trista G.
The pathos argument is one that I am challenged with everyday, well almost. The job of this specific type of argument is to appeal to the tender and loving side of a person. To get through to their feelings in order to gte them to do what is desired of them.
The instance that most rings a bell in my head as a perfect example of the argument, is the commercials and late night infomercials that encourage you to adopt pets, or buy them, or even send money in to shelter them and give them adequate healthcare. This one is always a tear jerker for me because the last thing I want is for a poor helpless animal to die. They use tactics that make the offer simply irresistible. thye give them good names like: Happy, Rex, Simon, and Shiloh; then they show the least appealing of the dogs. This is to make you feel sorry for them and give them what they are asking for. They show the dogs that are dirty, wounded, or somehow physically impaired. They also play slow folk-like music to set the mood and the tone for the ad. Then they show a bunch of other dogs surrounded by people that care for them, this is done so that you could be heartened enough to participate also.
This strategy is adopted by these campaigns because of how well they work. They make you cry sometimes, and think about how much or how far your contribution can go. They also make it a point to tell you how much your gift could do for one animal. They make sure to tell exaggerate how much your help is needed and insert how much of a good Samaritan you would be if you stopped thinking of yourself and made a difference for animal.
These ads usually work for me because I am an animal lover and I would never want to see one in danger or near death. And the fact that my contribution of maybe five or ten dollars can go such a long way makes me feel good. Plus, they send me little pamphlets monthly to tell me how my animal is doing which makes me happy.
But, sometimes this is not always the case. Sometimes the ads come on when I am half asleep, or just too broke to contribute anything. When I am nearing sleep I don’t care about anything, not a panda, dog, cat, dolphin, anything. This is not good but I am human. I am also a college student. This means that my funds are very limited and saving an endangered species, although more appealing than geometry, can not be worked into the budget no matter how many pennies I pinch.
When I am unable to give it makes me feel bad because I want to be able to help and contribute to greater good, but affordability plays a big role when giving money to an animal I will most likely never meet is what I want to spend it on.
Television ads, commercials, posters, and billboards are all designed to include subliminal messages. Some are noticeable and some are not, but most invoke emotions within us that have lasting effects. We might think about the message for the rest of the day or the message might strike a nerve and leave an impression that changes our views on life forever.
A commercial that I recently saw on television involved several different children placed in everyday situations. Each child recited one phrase; each line was the same but only changed depending on the place or action of the scene: “I smoke in the car on the way to school, I smoke while I’m coloring, I smoke during my nap, I smoke while I watch cartoons.” At first, you’re staring at the television wondering why these young children are smoking, but then a woman describes the moral of the message: “When you smoke around your kids, it’s like their smoking too! Second-hand smoke can hurt their lung growth and permanently damage lung functions.” The ad makes you stop and think about the affects that smoking around your children can have on their growth. It also makes you realize how much of an influence you have on the things they do and pick up on. Would you want your children to start smoking at such an early age? No, right? But you already started their addiction the day you chose to smoke around them. The ad continues with more children who state common sayings from adults who are addicted to smoking. The sayings, “I’m down to a pack a day!” or “I tried quitting, I need to try again,” help make you realize that it won’t be long before they are addicted too. The best line in the ad is at the end where the woman narrator says, “Second-hand smoke—its nothing to kid about!” I love the play on words.
This commercial also reminded me growing up around my grandmothers who smoked. It never really phased them until one day my grandmother accidentally burned my hand with one of her cigarettes that she was holding. She now realized how closely it affected my life—not just the influence of seeing her burn through a pack a day, but now she hoped that I wouldn’t have a scar to live with that would remind me of her mistakes. I never got a scar from it, but I do live with that moment and it has influenced me for the good. I have been turned away from smoking since that day.
Arguments Based on Character- Ethos
An ethos-based argument is an argument based on character. The text states that people pay attention to ethos arguments. I know that before I fully believe a person’s statement I like to know something about their character and if they have any creditability or authority. When we hear of a statement a specific person or group makes, we almost always ask ourselves questions such as; are they trustworthy? Do they have accurate knowledge of what the subject they are defending? Should we listen to their opinion? This isn’t necessarily a matter of if we like the person but if this person can “back up” what they have claimed.
A recent ethos-based argument I have been in would be one with my boyfriend. I have been seriously considering buying a new car. Not necessarily because I need one, just because I want one. Whenever I tell him I have been looking around at possible brands I would want, he gets frustrated. I never really understood until we had a serious talk about it one night. He drives a 2008 Mazda3 and he recently bought it this past August. He had a car before he bought his Mazda that ran perfectly fine but it was an older model. He tells me from his personal experience that it was the worst decision of his life. His car payments are $320.00 a month and he also pays $100.00 in insurance a month. Having a brand car is a luxury but the payment at 18 years old is rough. He doesn’t have a well established job due to his age and the fact that he is leaving for basic in a few months.
I have never had any serious problems with my car. At times the alignment will be slightly off but besides that its runs great. There is only 65,000 miles on it and it gets relatively good gas mileage. Before we had this argument I was really looking forward to buying a new car. I can most definitely afford the payments because I work 40 hours a week as a CNA, sometimes more. But the point he is trying to prove is why spends the extra money when I really don’t have too. I never did question whether I should take his advice or not after he stated these facts. He never showed me that he had regrets about buying his car. But when he did I looked at it more deeply. He rarely has extra spending money because his first priorities are his bills. If he would have kept his old car it would have eliminated an extra payment of $400.00 a month.
I trust the advice he gives me on this issue because he made the same decision I was going to make and he regrets it. To begin with, I know him on a personal level so I automatically trust his opinions to begin with. What makes it even more convincing is I have seen firsthand the struggles he had with buying a new car and I really don’t need that extra stress. I feel that keeping my current car, a 2003 PT Cruiser is not a bad decision. I have no payments and that keeps my extra spending or saving money to a max. When there is a serious problem with my car then maybe an alternate decision could be made but in the meantime I am going to take the advice of someone I trust who has creditability. An ethos-based argument is very effective and leads me to better decision making.
Julie-Anne Moore
Ethos Argument
People often say that you cannot believe everything you hear. This warning has sound reasoning behind it, as there are people that simply like to hear themselves talk. Because this is a well-known fact, it is a wise thing to question a speaker’s authority and credibility before trusting them. Politicians are the ones who most often have to ascertain their credibility, due to the importance of their position. Their constituents want to insure that they have a competent authority who will accurately represent them. Therefore, politicians utilize the ethos-based argument, or the argument based on character, in many of their speeches, especially those who are looking to be elected.
When the recent presidential election was in full swing, the American public was bombarded with ethos-based arguments. In order to win the election, the president and vice president nominees had to win over the trust of the American people. Obama and Sarah Palin especially needed to earn that trust as they both were relatively new to the public arena. Yet, Palin needed to prove herself even more than Obama as she represented the party of the vastly unpopular incumbent president. To accomplish this task, she had to prove that she was trustworthy, that she could relate to and represent the American public, ad that she had enough experience to carry out the job of vice president.
Palin was seemingly undaunted by the task of winning over America, and put forth a clever ethos-based argument the night of her nomination by the Republican Party. Quickly she related herself to the American public by calling herself a soccer mom and admitting her “family has the same ups and downs as any other…the same challenges and the same joys.” She wisely chose to admit her imperfections, letting the American public relate to her as an ordinary person, just like everyone else. However, she quickly noted her successes while in office, including cutting governmental luxuries and her ability to rid Alaska of corruption. Finally, she proceeded to defend her right to claim having experience that would ready her for vice presidency and to attack Obama for disregarding her experience.
Unfortunately, though she was persuasive in her ethos-based argument, the Republican Party lost. Though she had succeeded in convincing some that she was reputable and representative of the average American, the majority of the American public had lost trust in the Republican Party. Another factor that made her argument ineffective was the liberal media. She had admitted her imperfections in order to better relate to the American public, but the media had twisted her confessions in order to use them against her. Therefore, she was both successful and unsuccessful in her ethos-based argument as her party lost the election but the party wants her to represent them in the 2012 election.
Melissa Breton
Ethos Argument
When should you believe the things you hear? Do you listen to people who you don’t even know? If a guy walked up to you and said “ I am a great person, you should believe me” would you? I certainly wouldn’t. Everyday arguments rely heavily on Ethos. Ethos is based upon the communicator. Before you listen to anyone you should respect, trust, and admire there motives and integrity. Someone who fits into this category would be a doctor. Who would be there more to help you with your medical needs?
Since my Senior year in High school, during Field hockey season I have had a knee problem. After missing three games, seeing a couple doctors and athletic trainers them came to the conclusion that I had plica syndrome of the knee. The plica only becomes a problem when the knee is irritated, causing an inflammation in the synovial sack. When the synovium is inflamed, the area of the plica becomes thicker. This thickened area then begins to catch on the femur as the knee moves. It was too the point my knee looked like a baseball.
From this, I was to go to physical therapy every morning before school started for cortisone shocks in my knee. After two weeks, I was back on the field under the stipulations, of icing, and stretching after every practice and game. Recently I have been working out at the gym a lot. I have noticed my knee has been giving me trouble. It wasn’t until Thursday night that my knee swelled right back up to the size of a baseball. The next day I got in touch with my doctor. Starting on Monday I have to go through the same rigorous shocks for the next two weeks. The physical therapists says, there is nothing I can to but, rest, ice, take ibuprofen and keep getting the cortisone in my knee.
I wish there was something else that could be done. I am going to have to live with this condition the rest of my life. It has effected me by not being able to workout as much and do the things I love. The therapist says I shouldn’t dwell on it, just stick with the precautions and still do my daily routines. I am taking the advice for granted. When a trusted doctor/ physical therapist gives you advice, you may not understand all of the medical reasoning behind the advice, but you follow the directions because you believe that the doctor/ physical therapist knows what they are talking about.
Matt Thebarge
Ethos: Arguments Based on Character
The ethos type of argument is an argument dealing with one’s character. These arguments are based on different aspects of a person and how credible their knowledge is for the subject matter at hand. Different people have different fields that they have acquired knowledge for. For example, if you had a question about your prescriptions and how well it worked for you, you would take it up with your doctor instead of someone working at the checkout counter at your local super market. You also have to take into account how reliable the source is. If he tells you he’s a doctor but only on television, he might not be the person you want.
Just the past week I was involved in, well, witnessed an ethos argument. I had gone to the movies with a few of my friends. The movie we went to see was rated “R”. When we got up to buy our tickets, he carded us because he did not believe we were of age. A couple days later, we all went to a restaurant. At this restaurant, Mamadou asked the waitress how old did she think he looked. This situation right here is an argument based on character. He asked her because he assumed she was knowledgeable on the subject, seeing how she takes peoples orders on a regular basis and sees many people. Although her reply was not something he wanted to hear, considering that he was already told once that he looked young, but he took it with a smile and a laugh.
This is an example of an ethos based argument because he looked to her, the waitress, for an answer based on something that she should be qualified to answer. Like most people, the waitress should be able to take an approximate stab at how old he is because her job deals with people on a daily basis. If Mamadou would have asked a kindergartner or a toddler how old they thought he was it would not be as credible. Most of the time children have a hard time grasping the concept of large amounts. They may respond with a number like how old their parents are or how old they are etc. The waitress may not be as credible as someone whose background deals with the age of people in general, but it would be better then that of a young child.
The situation dealing with my friend asking the waitress how old she thought he was is a good example of an argument based on character. Mamadou asked her because he thought she would have a general idea on the concept at hand. This was him establishing credibility with the person he asked. She was more credible then a five year old. Ethos arguments can be seen everywhere. All you have to do is ask someone for advice and that itself is an argument based on character.
Tiffany L
1/26/09
Ethos Argument
An ethos argument is one that is based on character of a group or person. Ethos, like many other types of arguments, are arguments that we experience in our everyday lives. I have personally encountered many ethos arguments in my life time. One ethos argument that I have encountered, was when I was a freshman in high school, I had made the varsity cheerleading team. I wasn’t the best and our coach only wanted so many team members on the competition squad, so I was made an alternate. During the season, one of our flyers on our team got really sick with a viral infection. She missed about a month’s worth of practice. Our coach had kept thinking that she would be better by the time regional’s came around, so she told the other 3 alternates and myself to watch, and practice the routine. She asked us to do this just in case the girl who was sick wouldn’t be able to make it back. Finally it came down to a week before regional’s and our coach had to make the decision of changing things around in the routine, and take out the flyer who was sick, allowing one alternate to compete with the team. I knew that I could do it, so I asked my coach to put me into the routine. I told her that I had watched, and practiced a lot. I knew the routine by heart. I told her that I could help us win, and move on to states. She was contemplative, so she put me in for a trial run to see how well I knew the routine. It turned out that I proved to her that I could do it, so she put me into the routine, and made me part of the competition squad. At that competition we took fifth place, and was able to move on, and compete in states. The next year our coach made me part of the competition squad right at the beginning of the season, because she knew that I could learn the routine and do an excellent job.
This argument appealed my character to my cheering coach and to myself. This showed her that I was ready, and willing to give it all I had. I knew that I could do it, but she was a little skeptical, until she watched me do the routine. My coach’s character showed me that she had believed in me, and showed the team that an alternate can do as well as any team member that was already on the competition squad. Every year after that my coach would always tell the team at try outs, the reason why she picked me instead of the other three alternates, which showed that she was very proud of how hard I worked to prove myself to her.
Ethos arguments, are arguments that have claims, but also evidence to back up, and support those claims. Everyday of our lives, even if we don’t notice it, we are taking place in an ethos argument.
Samantha Rivers
January 26, 2009
Arguments Based on Character- Ethos
Ethos based arguments rely on whoever is presenting the argument to appeal to their viewers as credible, trustworthy, and reliable about the topic. We can see these types of arguments during election time when politicians try to prove they are meant for the job. Or when prospective college students go to visit campuses, and they are bombarded with a million reasons why they should choose that specific college. Although I have seen quite a few ethos based arguments lately, the one that comes to mind the most is when I met my previous Criminal Law professor last semester.
As a student, I want my professors to be very well qualified for the job. The way I see it is I am paying for my education, and I don’t want my educator to not know the first thing about the subject being taught. Whenever I meet a teacher for the first time, I like knowing a little bit about their background so I can asses for myself if I think they are qualified for the job. At the time, John Michaud was my Criminal Law professor and from the first day I met him I knew he was going to be one of my favorite professors. Professor Michaud walked into the first day of class looking exactly the way I pictured a college professor looking. He had a nice suit on, and he looked very presentable and professional. He shares the same beliefs as I do about letting his students know about his credentials and background. He began telling the class about the two tours he made in Vietnam, the mistakes he made in college, working in Spain, and lastly about all the time he worked as a special agent for the N.C.I.S. He definitely identified any question I had about his background, and I had no doubt in my mind that he was the right teacher for the job. I felt very lucky to have him as my professor.
The great thing about Professor Michaud is he is a real human being. He has made mistakes in his life, but he doesn’t have any shame in it. Even though he has so much experience in the criminal justice field, he has never once made me feel like I am “lower” than him. His argument appeals to students because we all have respect for the amount of time he has put into his work, and the passion he has for it. He presents himself in a professional manner for class every time I see him. Another great thing I love about Professor Michaud is the great stories he tells. He really makes the field of Criminal Justice very interesting, and I swear he could sell some of his stories to hit T.V. shows like N.C.I.S. or CSI. Professor Michaud uses ethos based arguments in very good ways, and I think I can speak for most of my classmates that have him as a professor when I say he is credible and he loves what he does.
Karina Durrell
Ethos paper
Ethos is an argument based on character. Many of us have faced this argument. Do you trust everything that you hear? We have all heard this question and the answer to that is no. If you need something done for your sight, you would go to an eye doctor. You wouldn’t go to a sports manager and ask them what they thought about your seeing ability. An ethos argument that I have faced recently is when I had to go to the doctors for my hip.
During my junior year, I found out that I had a hip out. We went to the doctors and he suggested that I had to have jammed my leg upwards to have made it go out of place. I couldn’t play field hockey for the rest of the season because with my hip being out I could not bend over to get my stick low enough to stop the ball. It was a really difficult time for me and I had to face the fact that I needed to get more explanations about my injury. I also wanted it to get better instead of making anything worse. I got it put back in and ever since then my hips pop in and out.
Over vacation, I went to Dr. Jorgensen, my osteopathic doctor, and he was asking me questions about my hips and how they have been lately. They were obviously very sore because they were both out of place. After he fixed my hips, he had to readjust my back and neck. When all of the alignments were done, we talked for a few minutes. I asked him if there was anything I could do that would help to keep my hips in place. He told me a few stretches I could do, and he also told me a few ways I could pop them back in myself. Dr. Jorgensen always asks what makes my hips more sore, the worst pain they have been in, and what makes them feel the best. He asks me these questions so he can try to ease the pain for me more, and to also give me answers to help me with this problem. My hips’ going in and out is something that I am going to have to deal with for awhile. I am taking the steps that my doctor suggested to try to help the situation out.
Going through this process, I realized that I wouldn’t go to any other person asking about my hips. They do not have the knowledge and wouldn’t be able to give me an accurate and thorough answer. When you have specific questions, you usually know who the right person to go to. You know the people that would be able to give you the best answers and you wouldn’t want to waste your time asking something that honestly couldn’t help you.
Julie R
Rhetoric and Composition
1/27/09
Ethos Arguments
Ethos Arguments are more of a strong opinionated argument. An argument for someone who really knows exactly what they are talking about. Emotion is involved in the argument just like many of the other arguments we have covered this semester. Since these argument are so opinionated they need to be written very strongly. So that the reader can trust what you are saying. In “everything’s an argument” they say “when writers and speakers can find the words and images to evoke certain emotions in people they might also move their audience to sympathize with ideas they connect to those feelings and even act on them” (p. 49) The author tries to win over the person by using emotion.
Recently I have gone through a process that has really bothered me. I was in an Anatomy and Physiology class and the teacher just was not helping me out at all. I did tons of things to help myself, going to the tutors!, going to this teachers office hours, studying with friends. No matter what I did nothing was working, I continuously failed exams quizzes and I was not learning the material from this particular teacher. I was so frustrated, paying the amount of money that I did and him not helping me to success even though I was putting in over twenty hours a week with of work for this one class. When we would meet in my teachers’ office they would accuse me of not studying.
I ended up failing so greatly that by midterm that was no way that I could bring my grade up enough to pass with the 77% that I need for my major. So despite me already paying for the class and working extremely hard. Over and over again hearing that I need to study more.. I was doing everything I could to succeed in this class all different types of techniques and study habits. I dropped the class and all the grades in my other classes went up.
This semester I am taking the same class over again with a different teacher. It is very funny to see how I was right and that I am now studying less and getting A’s and B’s for grades. I knew what I was talking when everyone else told me I needed to study when really it was just the teaching style of that teacher.
1.26.09
Ethos-based argument
An ethos based argument I recently engaged in was mostly one sided, but I’m still holding my ground. I argued that, high school curriculums may discuss diseases but they do not discuss the victims. The curriculums do not teach students empathy and do not go much further beyond statistics and symptoms involved with the disease; curriculums often lack the personal side of a disease. They do not quote people who have suffered directly or indirectly as a result of whichever disease and they do not teach students the humbling reality of disease and death.
In my case the disease I agrued for was AIDS. Having experienced a family member live with AIDS and die an AIDS related death, I feel credible to write this. I explained to my class a story where I sat in on a high school freshman health class and watched students joke about HIV and AIDS. While watching this, something inside me… snapped? I guess that’s the right word. I was hurt and disgusted because I didn’t realize that not everyone understands first hand the false stigmas that AIDS creates around a person and their family.
My ethos based argument was that if AIDS (and other diseases) were taught in a more personal way, it would have more of an impact on students than a sheet full of statistics would have. I know for a fact that the students appreciated my words and benefited more from them, than they would if had they learned about AIDS the way the curriculum intended for them to learn it. I told them how the disease affected the victim’s entire family. I used statements such as, “In high school my cousin kept her mother’s death a secret because even at the funeral, adults told 12-year-old Ashley that they felt sorry her mother was selfish enough to have three kids knowing she would never see any of them graduate.” This statement was sobering to the students because they saw their own behavior reflected upon themselves within it. They felt more remorse for their ignorance with my statement than they ever would have if they had learned primarily from the curriculum.
Like I said, it was a one sided argument. But I trust my own beliefs on this topic because not one student who walked out of that classroom wasn’t humbled by my words or grateful for my honesty. They visibly appreciated and understood what AIDS really is and does, and that was my goal when I stood up. I wanted to fix their ignorance. I feel like an ethos-based argument was the best way to go about this because it was such an emotional topic for me; remembering to continue in an ethos-based fashion was the only way to keep levelheaded and convey my point clearly to my audience. Mission accomplished.
Nick Gimbel
Ethos Argument
An ethos argument is one where it based on the character or known perception of this persons personality. It is also entitled an argument of character and is a mainly a nonverbal sort of argument. The nonverbalness is apparent from the way people get judged via their character. You are mostly in control of how you are viewed character-wise, which is why ethos based arguments are very unique. Not to be judgmental, but if you are approached by a scruffy looking man in a trench coat and he asks “could I stay the night at your house”, you hopefully will not consider to take him up on his offer. The reason for that is you have witnessed the overall aura around this person, you have processed it, interpreted and analyzed it, you haven’t just critically thought but you also made a call on this persons character. That, in turn, gets brought to whether you can trust this person or not.
An argument of this element happens everyday, with how you present yourself and conduct your behavior. If people can see you acting sketchy and know do some questionable things, their trust may not be exactly in you. This happened to my sister and I when I was visiting her in New Mexico earlier this month. We were parked getting gas at a local Shell station, and it was chilly so we sat in the car while the car filled. Then this haggard man walks out from behind the bushes and starts walking briskly towards us. He approaches and knocks on the window. I crack my window a tad and say hello, he quickly responds in a hurried voice with his own salutation. He makes quick chat asking mundane things such as how’s the weather and other things. He then begins this obviously well rehearsed but terrible acting, speech. It is a tale spun so deeply in self pity and saddness that it is almost unbearable. Wrapping up the speech, he quickly makes reference to the cold weather and approaching nightfall then followed by a quick and simple question of if he could borrow fifty dollars, promising he would pay me back. All his attributes and stories calculate in my head rather quickly to not form a trust with this man. The fact I do not know him, he is acting weird and the randomness pretty much accounts for all the reasons of not trusting him. I studied his apparent character and in my mind heard the obvious answer to his question.
Trista Glover
Tuesday journal entry
When arguing with someone lower on the education scale than I, I love nothing more than to rub in their faces the more experience than them I have and the more expertise on a subject I have than they do. Often times, it has been said that I am a bragger, boaster, or that I give myself way too much praise. The funny thing is that without any reservation at all I concur. As the book states in order to get your point across in many cases you have to broadcast your credentials and capabilities as it applies to the subject of conversation. The book says that it is essential to do so because it establishes your credibility and makes people more prone to listen and share your views on the topic if you are well versed in that line of study.
Something recently happened to me and I find that it is a prime example of what an pathos argument is all about. The other day my friend and I were talking about alcohol and alcoholic beverages and she included wine as one of her drinks of choice. I said well yea wine is a good choice because I heard that something about how it is fermented and the chemicals they use, plus the fact that it is made from grapes makes it good for your heart. She then continues on to say, “Yea a glass a day keeps the heart attacks away. At least, that’s what Oprah says.” This shows how much of a powerful woman she really is. It is a known fact that everything she touches or adds to that list of hers turns to gold, and this is so because she has such high credibility. It amazes me at how many people believe in her and what she says. Now Oprah has no degrees that says she is an expert of anything that she promotes, but her long leadership role in the entertainment industry is so very prestigious that she is held in high esteem by most. What Oprah says goes. She owns a magazine that tells you the things to buy and try every month and she is constantly promoting something that she believes in whole heartedly. These things sale like hotcakes because she denote them as her favorites. She is very involved politically too. Oprah was Barack Obama’s prime supporter. She changed many minds that no one thought she could. Many of the voters aside from the young vote were that of middle aged women, that watched Oprah. I read an article that said she should have been his running mate because she brought behind her a very big voting bracket that was just waiting to follow her views and believe in what she says. People believe in Oprah and put their faith in Oprah so much because what comes out of her mouth is either the truth, or will be accepted as the truth. Her audience has been given no legitimate reason to leave her side and they won’t until some facts are presented that proves her wrong. Her credibility for what she has achieved and constantly produces gives Oprah that umph she needs to have, keep and gain the supporters she pulls in everyday.