Classical Persuasion 4 -- Evidence
Evidence has a rhetorical effect. That is, you need to choose evidence
that not only supports your position but that also appears credible
and sufficient to your audience. In addition, you need to present that
evidence as clearly and compellingly as possible so that your audience
does not misunderstand.
Thinking About Evidence:
- What kinds of evidence (personal experience narratives or
data, examples, details, or numerical data) are you using to
develop your claim?
- If you are using evidence from personal example, how will
you give authority, weight, and validity to this personal evidence?
- If you are using numerical data, how will you make it clear,
comprehensible, and meaningful? (For instance, in a speech arguing
for more public support of the arts, Barbra Streisand asserts
that the amount of money the government gives to the National
Endowment for the Arts and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
combined is equal to what the government spends for one F-22
fighter jet, and the government buys hundreds of those. This
comparison drives home the point that the arts are undervalued
and unsupported).
- Consider your audience, occasion, and purpose of this argument.
Does your evidence fit this rhetorical context?
- What is effective or ineffective about this evidence?
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Writing Activities
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