Obama's speech is a good example of Aristotle's rhetoric in practice.
The object of Obama's speech is to win the presidential nomination. His speech is persuasive. He is appealing to the populace of South Carolina (and to that end, he praises them and calls them "the good people of South Carolina").
Analyzing Obama's speech is interesting not so much because of the beauty of the speech -- it is indeed a work of art, poetic -- but also because it teaches us much about rhetoric. We see Aristotle's lesson through the subject and form -- through the craft -- of the speech.
Look at the patterns, for instance, of his speech -- the point so f contrast: The people voting for him, for instance, span a diversity of differences: "They are young and old; rich and poor. They are black and white; Latino and Asian and is our chance to say that we're not going to let them stand in our way anymore.
We are up against the conventional thinking that says your ability to lead as President comes from longevity in Washington or proximity to the White House. But we know that real leadership is about candor, and judgment, and the ability to rally Americans from all walks of life around a common…
These are the companies that begin in basements and garages when an entrepreneur takes a chance on his dream, or a worker decides it's time she becomes her own boss. They're companies like ARC Energy, which I just visited before I came here. it's a terrific -- (applause) -- there you go. A little booster. (Laughter.) However, decisions should not be based on emotions, but logic. Logos means to persuade
Indeed, arguably he is playing a little loose with the terms here, for persuasion, while it may be based on logic, is rarely simply logic. Rather it is logic combined with at least a coating of emotion. In the following passage toward the end of his speech Obama uses language that I believe to be persuasive in a way in which Aristotle would approve, for Obama is using facts to
By connecting the awarding of a peace prize with the concerns of a world in which terrorism has become a constant threat, Obama makes clear the exigency of his message when he says: "I do not bring with me today a definitive solution to the problems of war." Nobel laureates are given few formal constraints in terms of their responses but Obama faced the more general constraints of trying to
At the same time, this is also the best criticism method because it puts into light Obama's rhetorical style and this is important, especially for audiences to understand how this is developed and how it works towards reaching its goals. With the Neo-Aristotelian Method of Criticism, one best understands it. The feminist criticism is not an adequate method of criticism first and foremost because the main objective of this speech is
blow the whistle" on what you heard in the garden? If so, how will you blow the whistle? If you decide to blow the whistle, what are your reasons for doing so? Your discussion should reflect knowledge of what Boatright says about issues, problems and justifications for whistle-blowing. Also, in discussing the answers to these questions you should include the following: 1) you should evaluate real and potential conflicts
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