Critical Thinking Skills For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 14

Using Words to Persuade

IN THIS CHAPTER

Discovering the nature of rhetoric

Using rhetoric to wow when giving a presentation

Boosting a failing argument with rhetorical tricks

Analyzing a series of rhetorical statements

Rhetoric is the study of how to persuade with words. It’s an ancient topic, as ancient as anything academics talk about. Perhaps the dominant theme of this book, in line with most critical thinking advice one way or another, is how to impose structure on ideas and turn claims and counterclaims into arguments, while allowing other kinds of thinking only a supporting role to the central role that logic plays.

But real life isn’t like that. Most of the things you hear people say or you read aren’t arguments in any sense; they’re more like descriptions, exclamations, or instructions. When people try to persuade you, the chances are that they don’t come up with much by way of a rational argument, but instead try to appeal to your hopes, fears, and emotions. They may even tell a few jokes.

You can call these tactics rhetorical flourishes if you like, but they’re ...