Thinking Rhetorically

Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art and practice of persuasion (5)

This book aims to teach you to think and act rhetorically to listen carefully and then to put in your oar, join conversations about important issues, and develop strong critical and ethical habits of mind that will help you engage with others in responsible ways (7, 8)

Hear What Others Are Saying and Think about Why

thinking rhetorically means being flexible and fair, able to hear and consider varying and sometimes conflicting points of view. (8)

What Do You Think and Why

consider your motivations and reflect on their relationship to those of others. (9)

Do Your Homework
Thinking rhetorically requires you to do your homeworkto find out everything you can about your topic. Analyze: Examine methodically and in detail the constitution or structure of (something, esp. information), typically for purposes of explanation. Discover or reveal (something) through such examination.

Synthesize: Combine (a number of things) into a coherent whole.

Give Credit
As part of engaging with what others have thought and said, youll want to give credit where credit is due. (12)

I would like to thank the academy

Ethos: a Greek word meaning "character" that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology.

Be Imaginative
While you want to think analytically and carefully, dont be afraid to take chances. (13)

Put in Your Oar

How do you want to come across to your audience? How can you appear knowledgeable, fair, and well informed? What can you do to represent yourself in a positive way? What can you do to show respect both for your audience and for those whose work and thinking you engage with? How can you demonstrate that you have your audiences best interests at heart?