Chapter 13: The Law and Society

To start off, there are many differences between argumentation and persuasion. Argumentation is based of sound reasoning. It has obvious evidence along with logical explanations as to why the readers should agree with the author. Persuasion is a little different. It appeals to the readers emotions and ethical beliefs. There are certain situations where either argumentation or persuasion would be best used. In situations concerning things such as politics it would be best to use argumentation. Persuasion is best used in situations such as trying to get people to see why your idea is better and more fair for a workplace. Sometimes it is even acceptable to use persuasion and argumentation together.

There are specific strategies for the use of argumentation and persuasion. Obviously, the overall purpose for both is to convince the readers to agree or change their opinion in agreement with the writers. In the case that it is nearly impossible to change the readers' opinions, it is better to simply do the best possible to try to soften their harsh opinion or to at least make them see that there are two sides to the argument. The way to best know how to go about persuading the audience is by doing some audience assessment. This way, it is possible to find an overall goal in persuading the readers, and it is nearly impossible to do this without first knowing who you're trying to win over.

According to the Greeks, there are three necessary elements of a successful argument. These include: logos, pathos, and ethos. Logos is the sound reasoning for the argument. Included in logos are evidence, facts, statistics, examples, and authoritative statements. Pathos is the emotional side of the argument. This is the part that hits home with the readers' feelings, values, attitudes, and beliefs. Ethos is the part where the author establishes his or her honestly, integrity, and reliability. This basically gives the reader a reason to trust that the author is a credible source. If used correctly, these three things can be used to make any argument credible and successful.

There are two types of reasoning that can be very helpful in an argumentative or persuasive essay. These are inductive and deductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning is a type of reasoning that uses facts and evidence to draw a conclusion. Deductive reasoning is a type of reasoning that uses a generalization and then a specific instance to help persuade people. Both are useful depending on what type of argument the writer is bringing to the table.