Transcript Persuasion - Homestead

Persuasion
Persuasive Public Speaking
Persuasive Public Speaking is Oral
communication designed to influence the
attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors of others in
a setting where one person talks to many
others at a time (Verlinden).
 Cicero said: 2,000 years ago, in order to
persuade you must educate, the
audience, and to keep the audience
listening you must entertain them.
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Persuasive Public Speaking
Persuasive speaking has a natural
connection to critical thinking and
argumentation.
 A major way to persuade an audience is
to make sound, convincing arguments.
 A significant part of preparing the speech
is to think critically about your subject,
the situation and your audience.
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Persuasive Public Speaking
The ancient Greeks studied Rhetoric,
defined by Aristotle as the available
means of persuasion.
 They identified five “canons” of rhetoric,
or lesser arts that constitute the greater
art of rhetoric.
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Aristotle’s 5 canons of rhetoric
The first canon is invention, which helps
the speaker discover what to say in the
speech.
 This includes the systematic search for
content and the critical thinking to decide
what should be included for the audience
being addressed.
 This is the canon most related to critical
thinking.
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Invention
The second canon is disposition which is
the arrangement of ideas.
 This is the organization of the speech.
 Effective arrangement and organization
are essential to the persuasiveness of a
speech as well, by the use of building
arguments.
 Effective disposition also leads to greater
speaker credibility
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Disposition
The third canon of rhetoric is style.
 This canon refers to the way language is
used to express ideas.
 Effective use of style can help to make
your ideas and message clear.
 Language can also hide ideas and trick
people as well, thus it is important to
remain ethical in use of language.
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Style
The fourth canon of rhetoric is memory.
 This relates to how to remember to say
what it is you are trying to say.
 It has to do today with your use of notes
or a manuscript for delivery, instead of
relying completely on memorization, as
they did in the Greek days.
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Memory
Delivery is the final canon of rhetoric.
 It involves the way you vocally and
physically present your speech.
 Delivery is important because people pay
more attention to ideas presented in
interesting and powerful ways.
 Delivery can make a mediocre speech
good and a good speech poor.
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Delivery
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When you can choose your topic, speak
about something worthwhile
Know the subject about which you speak
Know what you want from your audience
Make the best arguments you can
Analyze your audience
Tailor the speech to the audience
Make sure the audience knows that the
subject is worthwhile
Suggestions for Speakers
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Use high quality evidence
Cite the sources of your evidence
to increase credibility and trustworthiness
Be organized
Respond to potential objections
Be able to adapt to constraints
More suggestions:
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Consider substance over style
Think critically in the “strong sense”
Consider the evidence
Consider the speaker’s credibility
Make an independent judgment
Recognize that there will always be some
uncertainty / don’t expect a persuasive
speech to remove all doubt
Suggestions for the audience