Burke’s definition of persuasion goes hand in hand with Brochers’ as evidenced below. Brohcers’ definition is “Persuasion is the“coproduction of meaning that results when an individual or group uses language and other symbolic strategies to make audiences identify with that individual or group” (and their causes) (brochers 17)
Symbol use is fundamental to our definition of persuasion, and Burke developed a comprehensive theory called dramatism to describe how humans use symbols (Brochers 193). Burke theorizes that language is a way of acting: when we use words, we engage in action (Brochers 193). We “do” things with language (Brochers 193). For him, language is not a neutral technology, but one that has great power over those who engage in it (Brochers 193). His theory of dramatism provides a complex account of how words operate to “induce” individuals to identify each other (Brochers 193).
Burke says humans are symbol (mis)using animals (Brochers 194). Humans create symbols to name things, and these names contain an attitude (Brochers 194). An attitude is an introduction to an act; it is an “incipient act”. Language reveals our attitudes (Brochers 194). We cannot escape showing our views to others when we use language; language shapes behavior and is strategic (Brochers 194). The symbols persuaders use and how they use those symbols are important determinants to how successful they will be (Brochers 194)
One of the features inherent to language is the negative, the linguistic act of saying that something is not something else; humans are the inventors of this concept (Brochers 194). This allows us to distinguish between elements of our world, and it also results in moral action; we are invented by or moralized by the negative...
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... candidate (Brochers 196). The frontrunner label carries with it the attitude of power (Brochers 196).
Symbols suggest a perspective from which we should look at something (Brochers 197). Language reflects our motives and a motive is analogous to a situation (Brochers 197). Our way of framing reveals something about how you view others and your world (Brochers 197). Burke developed the pentad to uncover said motives. They are act (what is done), agent (the actor), agency (how), sense (where), and purpose (why) (Brochers 197).
Knowing that audience members create ideas about their world based on one or more of the terms of the pentad, burke theorizes that persuaders can use language to structure the world view of audience members (Brochers 197). A persuader can focus on the terms of the pentad that would be favorable to his or her persuasive goals (Brochers 197).
In speechcraft, orators have reverted to three basic concepts to persuade an audience; ethics, logic or emotion. All views are powerful, the path of emotion, or pathos, has stirred men to riots, the path of ethics, or ethos, has reminded people of the basest of their knowing and the path of logic, or logos, has calmed the savagest of beasts to men. No matter how human's develop, they retain the remnants of their not so distant cousins, animals. This is apparent when one takes note in the brain's ability to overcome human speech with basic emotions, to ‘render one speechless’ if you will. In these cases, much like animals, humans are propelled into action, leaving behind civilized concepts,
...an is capable of persuading his audience into accepting his simplistic views of the world. He makes it easier to rationalize with his stance by his strategic use of sentence structure and word choice. When analyzing a past speech or interpreting a speech as it is given, upmost priority should be given to analytical tools for analyzing persuasive symbols and language. Whether the topic at hand is motivated by great emotions as it is here or not, the audience can easily be swayed in one direction surprisingly based only on universal comprehension.
Summary – It is quite difficult to avoid any persuasive acts while resisting them at the same time. Being prepared with knowledge of how easy it is to be manipulated, controlled, seduced, etc. allows us to open up to the use of rhetoric.
Persuasion is a natural method many people use to influence a person's beliefs, attitudes, intentions, motivations, or behaviors in a situation. Many include, bribing parents to buy clothes to even lending someone money. Either way, people all over the world use words or phrases to convince or sway a person into believing them. Just as many people have used rhetorical appeals to persuade someone, Anthony also uses the rhetorical appeals; heartfelt pathos, questionable logos and evident ethos in William Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar to convince his audience that Caesar was not ambitious and that Caesar was innocent
Kerbel, Matthew R. (1993). An Empirical Test of the Role of Persuasion in the Exercise of
This discussion brings about an interesting view on similarity in relation to persuasion as expressed by O’Keefe (200), “The belief that greater similarity means greater effectiveness is an attractive one and is commonly reflected in recommendations that persuaders emphasize commonalities between themselves and the audience.” O’Keefe concludes
To comprehend why persuasion is unBiblical, a working definition of persuasion is necessary. Persuasion is intently forcing someone to believe or do something by manipulating the freedom of choice. The word “intently” is chosen because people’s surroundings influence
The emotional state of any given person’s mind can determine the way in which they think, act, behave, or respond to any certain event. When used correctly, persuasion is a deadly weapon at the tip of your tongue, and it certainly can, and will, help you obtain your desired outcome. So, if anyone may not know, what do you truthfully use to manipulate the thoughts of others? Well, whether you are aware or not, your strategies more than likely fall under ethos, pathos, or logos, that of which, I would like to uncover in the speech of Margaret Sanger.
Authors and speakers alike use some type of persuasion on their intended audience. They often try to make you agree with their argument before considering other factors. Persuasive writing often has a copious amount of logical fallacies, defined by the Perdue Online Writing Lab as “errors in reasoning that will undermine the logic”, despite that they tend to have success with sympathetic audiences. Wendell Berry’s essay “The Whole Horse” is an example. Berry is likely to persuade his conservationist audience because of his use of emotive language.
Persuasion is a very powerful weapon even against the most stoic of people. In the Tragedy, Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare Cassius, a high class politician with bad intentions persuades Brutus, an honorable, stoic high class politician and Casca to kill Caesar for the good of Rome, however, Cassius’ real goal is to get rid of Caesar because Caesar doesn’t like him. After killing Caesar, Brutus and Antony, Caesar closest friend, make speeches at his funeral in order to persuade the public. Cassius, Brutus and Antony’s use of Ethos, Logos, and Pathos in order to persuade the public, Casca, and Brutus shows that anyone can be persuaded by appealing to their emotions, motivations, and personalities.
Wilby, P. (2007, February). Persuasion is a science. New Statesman, 136(4833), 15. Retrieved May 4, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1223180481).
The dual process models of persuasion is a model that accounts for the two basic ways that attitude change occurs, which is either with or without thought. Furthermore, these two models are the central and peripheral models/routes of persuasion. The central route to persuasion is the way people are persuaded when they focus on the quality of the arguments in a message. This route requires effort and is argument based thinking. Attitude change in this route is likely to be stable and more resistant to change. People use the central route when they have both motivation and the ability to do so. On the other hand, the peripheral route to persuasion is the way people are persuaded when they focus on factors other than the quality of the arguments in a message. For example, they may instead just focus on the sheer number of arguments. In the peripheral route there is an absence of argument scrutiny, and is a shortcut based, conditioned response that yields to social
In closing, Persuasion is a powerful tool, both in trying to persuade others and being
Persuasion is an important aspect of communication, certainly a significant business activity. Regardless of whether this comes in the form of a sender influencing a party or the receiver itself is being influenced. Typically, this could come in the form of a salesman or, even a manager communicating with key stakeholders, such as potential investors.
In the most advantageous of cases this model suggests that a receiver “considers the content of the persuasive message carefully and has favorable thoughts about the content” (Enfante, Rancer & Avtgis, 2010, p. 172). When receivers engage in cognitive thinking, they participate in the type of persuasion the authors call the “central route” (Enfante, Rancer & Avtgis, 2010, p. 172). Under the central route, the receiver employs positive feelings towards whatever the source is saying and then in turn acts or forms attitudes based off of the positive thoughts. Thus they interact thoughtfully with the information the source is attempting to get across.