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Examines the persuasive techniques used by founding figures to define freedom and justify independence during the Enlightenment.
Imagine you are trying to convince 13 different families, who all disagree on religion and politics, to leave their homes and risk their lives for a single idea. How would you use only words to make them risk everything?
Before the mid-1700s, the American colonies were dominated by the Age of Faith, where truth was found through revelation and religious authority. However, the Enlightenment (or the Age of Reason) introduced a radical new idea: that human beings could use logic and observation to understand the world. Thinkers like John Locke and Isaac Newton suggested that the universe operated like a giant clock, governed by Natural Laws rather than constant divine intervention. This shift moved the focus from 'What does God command?' to 'What is self-evidently logical?' This transition provided the intellectual foundation for questioning the 'divine right' of kings and demanding individual liberty.
Quick Check
How did the Enlightenment's view of 'truth' differ from the earlier Puritan worldview?
Answer
The Enlightenment prioritized human reason and observable natural laws, whereas the Puritan worldview prioritized divine revelation and religious authority.
To move a nation toward revolution, founding figures utilized the Rhetorical Triad, a system of persuasion first defined by Aristotle. Ethos establishes the speaker's credibility and moral character. Pathos appeals to the audience's emotions, such as fear, pride, or anger. Logos uses logic, facts, and objective evidence to build an undeniable case. In the context of the Revolution, these weren't just academic terms; they were survival tools. A writer had to prove they were trustworthy (Ethos), make the people feel the sting of injustice (Pathos), and prove that independence was the only 'common sense' solution (Logos).
Consider this sentence: 'As a lifelong farmer who has served in our local assembly, I tell you that the King's taxes are a heavy burden on our hearts and a violation of the basic laws of math.'
1. Ethos: 'As a lifelong farmer who has served...' (Establishes experience/credibility). 2. Pathos: '...heavy burden on our hearts...' (Appeals to emotion/suffering). 3. Logos: '...violation of the basic laws of math.' (Appeals to logic/calculation).
Quick Check
Which rhetorical appeal is being used when a speaker cites their 20 years of experience in law?
Answer
Ethos
Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence is a masterpiece of deductive reasoning. He uses a logical structure called a syllogism. A syllogism follows a simple formula: If and , then . Jefferson starts with a major premise (All men have rights), moves to a minor premise (The King has violated these rights), and reaches an inevitable conclusion (We must abolish the King's rule). By framing the revolution as a mathematical necessity, he made the act of rebellion seem not like a crime, but like a logical requirement of the universe.
Jefferson's logic can be mapped as follows:
1. **Major Premise ():** Governments exist only to protect the rights of the people. 2. **Minor Premise ():** The British government is currently destroying the rights of the people. 3. **Conclusion ():** Therefore, the people have the right to abolish the British government.
The colonies were not a monolith; they were a collection of different religions, classes, and interests. Rhetoric served as the 'glue' to unify them. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was revolutionary because it abandoned high-brow academic language for plain style. He used analogies that a tavern worker or a merchant could understand. By using parallelism (repeating grammatical structures) and aphorisms (short, memorable statements of truth), Paine created a shared 'American' vocabulary that transcended local differences, turning 13 separate colonies into a single 'United' front.
Analyze the use of 'Aphorism' and 'Parallelism' in this famous Paine quote: 'The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.'
1. Aphorism: It is a short, pithy statement that sounds like a universal truth. 2. Parallelism: The structure 'The [adjective] the [noun]' is repeated twice: 'The harder the conflict' // 'the more glorious the triumph.' 3. Effect: This creates a sense of balance and inevitability, making the listener believe that their current suffering (conflict) is a direct down-payment on future success (triumph).
Which term describes the Enlightenment belief that the universe is governed by rational, observable rules?
In the logical formula used in the Declaration, what does represent?
Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense' was effective because it used complex, Latinate vocabulary to impress the colonial elite.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to recall the three parts of the Rhetorical Triad and one example of how a 'syllogism' works in political writing.
Practice Activity
Find a modern opinion article or political speech. Highlight one sentence for Ethos (blue), Pathos (red), and Logos (green). See which color dominates the argument.