Blog Archives

A complete story

3/26/2018

Slogans
Propagandists know the value of a slogan. It is simple, catchy, and easily remembered. An involved train of thought is hard to follow. A series of arguments is hard to remember. A slogan makes thinking unnecessary. It oversimplifies by reducing a chain of arguments to a few words.
Slogans play an important part in politics and advertising. When you hear a slogan, remember that it does not tell a complete story. It is a device to capture your attention and memory.

Chapter 23 Language and Logic, in Warriner's English Grammar and Composition Revised Edition, Complete Course, John E. Warriner and Francis Griffith, 1965

The person under attack

3/25/2018

Name-Calling
This is a device by which a speaker attempts to defeat an opponent not by rational arguments but by calling him names or smearing his reputation. Mudslinging of this sort is not worthy of anyone. Do not repeat a smear and do not believe it until the person under attack has had a full opportunity to reply or until you have examined the evidence.

Chapter 23 Language and Logic, in Warriner's English Grammar and Composition Revised Edition, Complete Course, John E. Warriner and Francis Griffith, 1965

From the real issue

3/24/2018

23j. Learn to recognize and evaluate propaganda.
The propagandist is a skillful user of most of the kinds of faulty reasoning you have studied on the preceding pages. He is given to frequent use of the hasty generalization; he jumps to conclusions; he reasons by analogy; he attributes an effect to the wrong cause; he diverts you from the real issue by an irrelevant fact or an off-the-subject argument. Loaded words (see page 298) and doubtful testimonials (see page 388) are his stock in trade.

Chapter 23 Language and Logic, in Warriner's English Grammar and Composition Revised Edition, Complete Course, John E. Warriner and Francis Griffith, 1965

For selfish ends

3/23/2018

An individual or group that tries to influence others' opinions or actions for selfish ends is engaging in propaganda which may be harmful. The professional propagandist is promoting his own welfare regardless of whether or not his effect on you is beneficial to you.

Chapter 23 Language and Logic, in Warriner's English Grammar and Composition Revised Edition, Complete Course, John E. Warriner and Francis Griffith, 1965

For the fun of it

3/22/2018

34m. Do not use unnecessary commas.
Commas are not to be sprinkled about in a composition as though, like salt, to add flavor. The tendency of modern writers is to use commas sparingly. You should be able to show either that the commas you use help the reader to read what you have written or that they are required by custom—as in a date or address, for example. Using commas just for the fun of it is as bad as not using them when they are necessary. Your teacher will surely question your competence if you use them in places where they cannot be justified.

Chapter 34 Punctuation, Endmarks and Commas, Unnecessary Commas, Evidence in Warriner's English Grammar and Composition Revised Edition, Complete Course, John E. Warriner and Francis Griffith, 1965

<<Previous

Forward>>

A complete story

The person under attack

From the real issue

For selfish ends

For the fun of it

Archives

Categories