Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion

Parts 1-2, Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. They should have (1) a personal goal and (2) a goal for one’s audience. (Chapter 2)

2. Logos, ethos, and pathos (Chapter 4)

Short Answer

1. This anecdote illustrates that arguments big or small are an innate part of human nature. It also teaches readers their first rhetoric (or argument) tool: concession, which is when one appears to agree with their opponent, only to use the peace to their advantage. (Chapter 1)

2. It’s important to remember Little Orphan Annie when arguing in the future tense because Annie sings “the sun will come out tomorrow,” yet even she cannot know for sure if the sun is going to come out then. She has to, as the next line of the song goes, bet her “bottom dollar” that it will happen. Therefore, persuaders should bear in mind that, like Little Orphan Annie, they must make conjectures about the future in order to be persuasive in deliberate rhetoric. (Chapter 3)

Part 2, Chapters 5-8

Reading Check

1. 8 Mile (Chapter 5)

2. Virtue or cause (Chapter 6)

3. Practical wisdom or craft (Chapter 7)