Difference between revisions of "Rhetoric"

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[[page type::article]]
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[[thing type::social power tool]]
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[[category:concepts]]
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==About==
 
==About==
[[category:concepts]][[Rhetoric]] is the art of verbal manipulation to convince others of a predetermined conclusion. At its best, it is used as a tool to convey difficult new ideas and get past existing [[cognitive bias]] in situations where a [[rational]] argument may be ineffective; at its worst, it is used to induce erroneous [[belief]]s in others, which may lead to popular support for extremely harmful actions.
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[[Rhetoric]], in the modern political sense, is the art of verbal manipulation to convince others of a predetermined conclusion. It typically consists of [[appeals to emotion]] packaged in memorable wording, often backed by [[logically fallacious]] reasoning.
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===Uses===
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While rhetoric can be used positively, as a tool to convey difficult new ideas and get past existing [[cognitive bias]] in situations where a [[rational]] argument may be ineffective, but unfortunately it is more commonly used [[antiepistemic]]ally &ndash; i.e. to induce erroneous [[belief]]s in others. When amplified by the memetic power of the [[mainstream media]] (either explicitly &ndash; paid advertising &ndash; or complicity, in support of the [[plutonomy|plutocratic agenda]] of the mainstream media's [[media consolidation|consolidated ownership]]) this often leads to popular support for extremely harmful actions.
 
===Related===
 
===Related===
 
* [[Rhetorical manipulation]] is the negative use of [[rhetoric]], i.e. to promote false [[belief]]s
 
* [[Rhetorical manipulation]] is the negative use of [[rhetoric]], i.e. to promote false [[belief]]s
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* {{!in|dkosopedia}} no equivalent page as of 2010-07-15; see [[dkosopedia:Religious Political Rhetoric|Religious Political Rhetoric]]
 
* {{!in|dkosopedia}} no equivalent page as of 2010-07-15; see [[dkosopedia:Religious Political Rhetoric|Religious Political Rhetoric]]
 
* {{!in|sourcewatch}} no equivalent page as of 2010-07-15; see [[sourcewatch:Empty rhetoric|Empty rhetoric]]
 
* {{!in|sourcewatch}} no equivalent page as of 2010-07-15; see [[sourcewatch:Empty rhetoric|Empty rhetoric]]
* {{!in|rationalwiki}} (note: "CP" stands for [[Conservapedia]]; mention of [[RationalWiki]] is [[Conservapedia/censorship|censored]] at CP)
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* {{rationalwiki}}
 
* {{lwwiki}} (as of 2010-07-15) redirects to [[lwwiki:Dark arts|Dark arts]], which refers to the [[rhetorical manipulation|negative uses of rhetoric]]: "...rhetorical techniques crafted to exploit human cognitive biases in order to persuade, deceive, or otherwise manipulate a person into irrationally accepting [predetermined] beliefs"
 
* {{lwwiki}} (as of 2010-07-15) redirects to [[lwwiki:Dark arts|Dark arts]], which refers to the [[rhetorical manipulation|negative uses of rhetoric]]: "...rhetorical techniques crafted to exploit human cognitive biases in order to persuade, deceive, or otherwise manipulate a person into irrationally accepting [predetermined] beliefs"

Revision as of 15:14, 27 October 2015

About

Rhetoric, in the modern political sense, is the art of verbal manipulation to convince others of a predetermined conclusion. It typically consists of appeals to emotion packaged in memorable wording, often backed by logically fallacious reasoning.

Uses

While rhetoric can be used positively, as a tool to convey difficult new ideas and get past existing cognitive bias in situations where a rational argument may be ineffective, but unfortunately it is more commonly used antiepistemically – i.e. to induce erroneous beliefs in others. When amplified by the memetic power of the mainstream media (either explicitly – paid advertising – or complicity, in support of the plutocratic agenda of the mainstream media's consolidated ownership) this often leads to popular support for extremely harmful actions.

Related

Links