The Power of Persuasion, Essay Example

At the beginning of Ch. 14 there is an example of the power of persuasion.  A speaker can use it to help inspire people to look towards a brighter future.  The definition is essentially that persuasion uses communication to affect how people view the world and the actions they take based upon those views.  Persuasion implies a choice is involved.  The speaker is trying to promote their side, their view on the matter not just the facts.

This discusses various types of persuasive speeches, and how to approach them, what sort of questions and organizational structures should be taken into account as the speech is being constructed.  Looking at the topic and how it relates to the specific and general purposes of the speech helps to organize a more efficient speech.  Speeches that ask questions about facts, values, or opinions need to take into account different points such as the moral standing or the political views of the audience.

The most important aspect of persuasive speeches seems to be the achievement of the reaction you want in the audience.  If you are trying to get them to see a certain point of view the most important thing would be for them to understand that point of view, so that they can make the most informed decision.  It is also important to resonate with the audience.  Not only should they feel as though they can relate to the speaker, but they should also see the speaker as someone they can trust.

How have persuasive speeches been used politically throughout history in order to achieve certain ends?  How much does it take for a speaker to get the audience to trust you better?

The idea of an argument is discussed in Ch. 15.  Though arguments are usually considered a bad thing, in the realm of speech, they are used to help achieve good results.  The basic structure of an argument is a position or claim that is then followed up by supporting data or logic.  There are many viewpoints in society, and all use argument to show that their position is above all others.  The two most important parts of an argument are their premises and conclusion.  While the conclusion is the place where the arguer eventually wants to end up, the premises are the basic presuppositions that they began with.  In a logical argument, the premises will lead to the conclusion through reasoning.

There are three primary sources of evidence in argumentative speeches.  This includes logos, pathos, and mythos.  Logos is the speaker’s ability to appeal to the audience’s sense of logic, through reasonable arguments.  In pathos the speaker attempts to achieve an emotional reaction.  In mythos, the writer relates to their audience’s sense of culture and history in order to relate to them.  These three aspects of argumentative speeches, logos, pathos, and mythos, seem to be the most important.  The text makes it clear that it is important to relate to the audience, or find common ground, and these are the best way to achieve this.

What are the ethical ramifications of using these three parts of speech towards negative ends?  How much evidence is necessary to convince specific audiences of your point of view within a speech?