Persuasion is the art of influencing people’s attitudes and behaviors either through speech or action. In today’s world, persuasion is everywhere and any individual can easily come into contact with it daily. For example, a mother cajoling her child to wake up for school, a CEO executive urging his colleagues to concentrate on an important meeting, or a son convincing his father to buy him a new car. Most of the time persuasion is seen as advantageous and there are fruitful results for both sides, however sometimes, instead of a gentle coax in a certain direction, individuals use brute force and manipulation to get what they want. One of the most important uses of persuasion is paralanguage. Paralanguage is not what is said, but rather how it is said, it includes components of non-verbal communication such as the volume and speed of voice, intonation, tone, pronunciation, facial expression, and so on. Occasionally, paralanguage can be more effective in persuasion than the language itself, however, the language in persuasion is the focal point of this essay (Cook 2012, p.226-7).
Rhetoric is the art of persuasive speaking and it can be traced back to, at least, the fourth century BC, when it is first believed to have begun in the civilization of ancient Greece and ancient Rome. There it was used to teach individuals how to formulate and carry out a compelling and plausible case for themselves, even in everyday conversation. The Greeks and Romans did not regard the art of rhetoric as a trait that anyone can be born with or receive through genetics, which is why they believed that it should be taught. The famous philosopher Aristotle saw rhetoric as a very helpful way of understanding the truth for the audience, therefore he wrote; The Art of Rhetoric, in the fourth century BC (Cook, 2012, p.232-6). While scholar Brian Vickers (1998), among other scholars, argued that the enthusiastic demand for studying rhetoric in the early centuries first occurred because of the emergence of democracy in Athens. Democracy for the Athenian men, who had to be able to persuade the rest of the country, to vote against or for, any kind of legislation (McKay and McKay, 2018). Hence, it can be understood that rhetoric and democracy have a connection. Although classical rhetoric has been around for centuries and there have been a few changes, it remains basically the same in modern times.
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To be a successful orator, there are certain important rhetoric styles and strategies that should be used wherever possible. One of the styles is the rhetorical question, which is a question asked without the expectation of a reply, to emphasize a point or just for effect. Moreover, sometimes the author or speaker who asked the rhetorical question would answer it themselves (Literary Devices, 2019). Another style would be the rhetorical triplet, which is three continuous, parallel sentences that are added to intensify the upcoming climax (Cook, 2012, p.235). Aristotle’s ‘The Art of Rhetoric’, which was mentioned above, contains three strategies used in persuasion. Logos, the first strategy, is persuasion based on logic and reasoning, it gives individuals a chance to arrive at a decision using their intellect. For example, students research each university before making an intellectual judgment on which one is the best, moreover, individuals also use statistical facts, graphs, data charts, and so on to reach smart conclusions. The second strategy, pathos, is persuasion based on emotional and psychological sensibilities, it is directed mainly to the senses and therefore appeals to the passion and empathy of individuals. For instance, individuals raising money for the ability to provide clean water to people who are otherwise unable to access it would share stories of the pain and suffering said people are going through because individuals will only contribute if they understand and sympathize with the situation. Finally, the last strategy, ethos, is persuasion based on the integrity and credibility of the author or speaker, who they are as a person, what they are saying, and how they say it, are all factors that are taken into consideration. For example, when a school is looking to employ a new teacher, they will be persuaded to hire the teacher with the most qualifications and experience, however, if the students of that school were to choose their teacher, they would choose someone fun, kind and most importantly, someone they can trust. Both groups are analyzing the new teacher based on who he or she is, but each is persuaded by different kinds of credentials.
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