Thucydides, Whitey Tightey's

Pericles starts out his speech with strong ethos by immediately letting the audience know about his intentions. He informs them that he will be describing and speaking about what he has experienced in war. I see it kind of as a, "been there, done that" approach. He makes sure that he keeps himself in check by sneaking this credibility in the back door. Later on in the speech, he continues to include himself as part of the great civilization he goes on to describe. By using the word "we" and "our" instead of "you", "your", or just "The Athenians", he is simultaneously lifting himself and the audience.

(We're all on the same team here, guys)

The body of the speech has intense pathos. Over and over, Pericles reminds the audience of how great Athens is and was. He starts out by bringing up the ancestors, "founding fathers of Athens" if you will, and their critical role in establishing this great civilization of theirs. He then talks about how they have set the standard and have been great at pretty much everything. Using evidences in politics, war, and the people as a whole, the decorum at this point is geared specifically to evoke strong emotion. "Athens, alone of the states we know, comes to her testing time in a greatness that surpasses what was imagined of her." This is a good transition point to call for action. At this point he starts to slowly use more and more action words.

A lot of people from the class have agreed that this speech is both epideictic and deliberative. Chloe S did a great job at explaining how, through words, Pericles is able to persuade the audience that words aren't enough. He didn't even want to give a speech, but these great men deserve our action. His delivery was executed in a way that both delivered sympathy, appealing to emotion, and hope for change, appealing to reason for action in the future. At the end of the speech, especially, he called for action. These great men who died deserve the action of the people to live up to their reputation.

Just because something has been done, or is being done currently, does not mean it has to happen in the future. It wasn't until this last part that I realized the impact of the first section in which he disagrees with the way the grieving has gone. This is another logical appeal and example of change.

 

A Shaper of Revolutions

In his “Discourse on the Origins and Foundations of Inequality among Men,” Rousseau sets in place a way of thinking that will set in motion a new era: the era of Revolutions.

Rousseau in and of himself is not a particularly revolutionary in his writing. He does not call for any specific change or upheaval of governmental regimes. But as an author of the Enlightenment, his writings did revolutionize the way we think.

Writing Plan for a Writing Clan (a.k.a English Teaching Majors)

Audience Profile

With my essay, English Teaching majors will be able to
understand why rhetoric and communication is vital in
the classroom!

            A typical English Teaching major will take many literature, English language, grammar, and teaching courses to prepare them to teach in a secondary education setting (high school).  Almost all curriculum will address communication in some way.  Communication will be found through literature and the importance of literature on communication, how to communicate correctly with grammar, and how to teach effectively to adolescents.  The teaching classes are by far the most suited toward rhetoric because teachers must develop ethos, pathos, and logos in order to help their students learn.  Furthermore, classes like History of the English language will provide a context or overview for the profession.  Following these courses, there is a professional element, which includes student teaching or an internship as well as classes on special teaching topics like teaching in a multicultural setting or teaching those with disabilities.  The student teaching portion of the major is the best time to get a hands-on experience on how to communicate well to perform effectively as a high school English teacher.  In preparation for getting a job, BYU’s university career services can help English teaching majors apply for jobs, write an effective resume, and interview well.

Context

            The most meaningful context I can provide for someone who might be considering an English Teaching Major is to expound upon the noble virtue of teaching.  Although teachers are neither the most paid nor most revered professionals in the world, there is something highly gratifying and noble about teaching.  Students can be inspired to go on to be successful simply through a great teacher.  Sticking to the focus that teaching is a noble and wonderful profession will be the best way to persuade readers to focus on my essay.  To persuade readers to pay attention to issues of communication in the English teaching major, I will remind them of bad teachers that they have had.  Most bad teachers lack basic knowledge of how to communicate and persuade effectively.  They do not understand the fundamental issue between learning and engaging the student.  They do not know how to add personal touches to curriculum.  They often do not know how to dress to fit the part of a personable professional.  Everyone wants to be successful, so I will convince them that the best way to be a successful English teacher will be to communicate effectively.

Rhetoric

            I will need to present in my paper the general ideas of ethos, pathos, and logos in my paper and how each applies to effective communication in English teaching.  General methods of high, middle, and low style should be addressed so that the teachers can know what style to address their students at a given time.  They should know both when to listen to the students and when to be the speaker.  Specifically, persuasive strategies in regard to effective e-communication (email, blog, social media and other effective technologies) should also be addressed.  How to teach personally with an impersonal curriculum is another specific topic that is needed for effective persuasion and communication.  I can address the 3 different persuasive appeals and the 3 different levels of styles without necessarily naming them in rhetorical jargon.  Rather I can use synonyms like “logical argument” for logos and “an entertaining style” for middle style.

History

            To give useful perspective, I can focus on how language and grammar teaching has influenced history.  I can focus on the Sophists’ speech writing instructions and handbooks and Quintillian’s progymnasmata.  This historical focus will allow readers to see the scope of how important and ancient the art of teaching language is. 

Developmental Plan

            I will divide my paper into three distinct sections—persuasion and communication in the classroom, persuasion and communication on an individual basis, and persuasion and communication with the staff and faculty.  In order to be a successful professional and teacher, English teaching majors must be proficient in communication to these three different groups.  For each of these groups, I will explain the different styles and ways of communicating that will be most effective per group (for example, clarity and repetition in a lecture might be extremely helpful in the classroom, but it might be better to have a dialogue with little repetition for individual communication).  I will attempt to add a little historical context if it applies.  I will need to add some new information that is not taken from my blog posts in regard especially to faculty interaction.  I will need to know how faculty communicates effectively.

            The section on in the classroom and to the individual will be the most important sections.  The people you will influence the most as a teacher will be the students, not the faculty.  Telling the stories about Ms. Evans and Mr. Rice will be the most effective in explaining how to communicate well to students and to faculty.

Tradition and Athenian Pride

Greek History

How can you talk about tradition and not think of this... "TRADITION!!!"

                In an attempt to say something new about Greek civilization (as most people have talked about the pride of the Greeks country), I would like to point out the innate sense of tradition among the Greek society. It is clear from the introduction and the start of Pericles Oration that the Greeks had traditions. Many of these traditions could arguably be called “irrational” both then and now. Today we praise the Greeks for their advanced society, ideals, and government for their time in history. Because of this we may now overlook the fact that the Greeks were still human, and still like most people today with many different religious, cultural, and even silly traditions.

Pericles’ Ethos

                Many people talked about the pride of ones country as what they learned about the history of the Greek civilization (Austin Pena did a good job of this in his post “The Cradle of Humanism”)*, but for me this theme of country stood out more as the center of how Pericles built his ethos. Pericles said it the best himself by stating, “I have sung the praises of our city.” The pride of Athens and of their country was something that built common ground between Pericles and his audience. It also made himself appear to be a true Athenian, or Greek. I have felt this ethos while listening to many patriotic speakers in my own life. Once I have the feeling or thought of the speaker being a true American or Patriot, I am more inclined to listen to what they have to say. Pericles used this same method to build his ethos in his oration.

Pericles’ Philosophy

                This was definitely harder for me to pick out, but overall I feel that Pericles mostly resembles the ideals of the sophists. He clearly wants to help his audience believe the points he makes, as well as being quite ambiguous in his stances morally. He brings up some moral issues, but doesn’t necessarily try to persuade his audience to a specific way of thinking about these issues; more he is trying to persuade or induce belief. Because of the relativism in his thoughts to the people in his audience, like the mothers who have lost spouses, I feel there is the most evidence pointing to Pericles being a sophist. 

*http://rhetoricandcivilization.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-cradle-of-humanism.html

Don't Cry for Me Athens

Historical Happenings

Thucydides intent for writing this history of Pericles’ Funeral Oration was to prevent future mistakes from occurring again.  He was concerned with accuracy and only recorded events that he had seen personally or had heard the perspectives of many in relation to that event.  He was concerned with recording that which was closest to be reality.  Although what a speaker may have said could be biased, Thucydides wanted the history to be what the speaker had actually spoken.  It seems that Thucydides was starting the process of making histories and trying to make sense of the differing opinions of many to help those in the future.

Establishing Ethos

Pericles speech caught me off guard a little.  He speaks much of the city in the beginning and not of the fallen soldiers.  He spends the majority of the speech reflecting on the grandeur of the city.  But as he speaks of the city he builds up the pride of those in the audience who pertain to this remarkable city.  This is one way that he begins to gain ethos.  Who doesn’t like to hear something good about himself?  Then he uses the city to connect to the soldiers.  It was their knowledge of the importance of this city that gave them courage. 

Pericles' Philosophy

But was Pericles doing what was morally correct while he praised Athens and its inhabitants?  He uses their emotions to encourage them to have more children.  Doesn’t that seem a little out of place for a eulogy?  I would say that Pericles was a Sophist because he wasn’t focused on the morals of the war but in encouraging them to be superior.  I disagree with Alexander that Pericles was seeking for truth because his “truth” seemed very biased to the side of Athens.  We have to consider both sides to arrive at truth.  When it comes down to it, killing may not be what is morally correct.   

An Education to Greece

   History and Greek Civilization

Because history is the past of the winners, and Athens
definitely won to history, Pericles was right that future
ages will wonder at Athens.  We do so today.

           

            Pericles’s speech reveals Athenian civilization in two ways: the traditions and pride.  Pericles mentions that he does not want to give the speech because the bravery of the soldiers speaks for themselves. However, it is his duty to honor his ancestors and traditions. Pericles, though, focused much more on the pride and glory of Athens.  According to Pericles, Athenians have natural bravery instead of Spartan state-induced bravery.  The Athenians also pride themselves on working alone and not needing allies.  Athenians enjoy living in a world where beauty, things of the mind, bravery, politics, and service live harmoniously.  Athens is an “education to Greece” and "future ages will wonder at us.”  However, Pericles is only at least partly employing propaganda because Athens had its problems.  However, history is not the truth of the past but a reconstruction of the winner’s memories.  So Athens, the winner, is a golden city to Pericles.

Employing Ethos

            Pericles establishes his ethos mostly through emotional appeal.  Though he already had great ethos because he was a leading statesman in Athens, he mentioned none of his accomplishments during his speech, which actually increased his ethos.  He instead establishes ethos mostly through pathos.  When he says a speech is not necessary because of the bravery of the soliders, he is being sympathetic to the mourners.  He uses the word “we” instead of “you” to connect him with his audience.  Once he has the audience firmly on his side through his pathos, he is able to give the mourners advice to have more children, and they will take his advice.

Socrates vs. Pericles

Socrates would question even the most mundane
so he would definitely question the bravery of
the Athenian soldier. 

                        Socrates would have approached this funeral oration very differently than Pericles.  I imagine that he would attempt to discover if the dead soldiers were actually brave or only acting on orders.  He would question the mourners about their sons and brothers and their character.  He would not dote on Athens for more than half the speech but attempt to expose its corruption. Under his motto that “an unexamined life is not worth living” Socrates would bring the hard questions to light as opposed to Pericles’s epideictic, praising oration.

was most interested in knowing absolute truth.  I even conjecture that unlike Adam's thoughts, Pericles represented the Sophist thought.  Sophists were pragmatic, and Pericle’s advice to have more children and to women quiet were pragmatic thinkings taken from a difficult situation.  Pericles based himself in real life events, not in theory.