"A Fool May Talk, but a Wise Man Speaks" - Ben Jonson (121)

While arguing one has to treat the audience as grownups. Is easier to convince your opponent with facts and real life statistics. This is what arguing is all about.

Lets pretend I am arguing about a specific topic. If my opponent attacks me with facts and real life statistics then I will be convinced at that exact moment. For example, I am arguing with my mom about going with my boyfriend to a party. I will attack her with a lot of facts such as, my grades, my birthday present and facts like that that will help me get what I want. With this she will be convinced.

When Heinrichs says that philosophy is boring, he is contradicting himself. Through out the book all his facts and sources are from philosophers, so saying that they are boring does not make a lot of since. However he uses to defend rhetoric. He says that “rhetoric is much less boring. While philosophy scorns public opinion, in rhetoric, the audience’s beliefs are at least as important as fact” (123). This is true; in order to be a good arguer you don’t have to know all the facts. One has to know only how to attack your opponent and identify their weak points, like this one can manipulate their minds.

I like the theory of ‘if-then’ (125). This is a better way of going out of an argument. By using this theory one can easily persuade the opponent without forming a big deal. This is called enthymeme. Here is an example:

            Blond girls are dumb.

            Anastasia has blond hair.

            Then Anastasia is dumb.

Other way of attacking could be by logic. There are two kinds of logic: deductive and inductive logic. This two logics help you while arguing. While deductive logc start from a “common place” (133), inductive logic start “with the specific and moves to general” (133). This two logic work. When you are not sure about having a common place with your opponent then you use inductive logic.

For example, in this commercial, they are convincing you to buy Bratz doll. This doll comes with a diamond for you. They say that if it is not true they will refund the money. Therefore you feel secure of buying the piece. The creator employs logos telling you a fact that will make you feel confidence in buying the doll.  

Fact, comparison and story telling is another way of convincing. When talking to your opponent you have to give one situation for each.

For example:

Me: I want to go to Cartagena alone with my friends.

Fact: I have been alone in Europe in a summer school and everything turned up perfectly.

Story: a friend of mine went with his parents and he did everything to escape, he escaped and someone drugged him.

Comparison: the children that have all the freedom are the more responsible ones, instead the ones that have pressure from their parents, when they feel a little of freedom they do horrible things.

So trust me!

Thanks to Heinrichs I can now use this techniques in convincing my parents.