Fact Versus Reason

The techniques used in contemporary advertisements are not new ideas. Revolutionary writers, especially Thomas Paine, used the same strategies and techniques to fuel a rebellion.

Thomas Paine and Common Sense

Thomas Paine was born in England in 1737. At age thirty-seven, he was dismissed from his government post for trying to organize workers to argue for better pay. In London, he met Benjamin Franklin, who sent him to the colonies with a letter of recommendation as a "worthy young man." Surrounded by revolutionaries in Philadelphia, he wrote for the Pennsylvania Magazine. In 1776, he published Common Sense, a forty-eight-page pamphlet declaring that common sense could solve the current political problems with Britain. He articulated the injustice of the British policies, urged pity for the oppressed, and derided the folly of "delay and timidity." Within just three months, the pamphlet had had sold more than a 100,000 copies and helped inspire the spirit of revolution made evident in the Declaration of Independence six months later.

The Rhetorical Triangle

Paine used the rhetorical triangle, which structures arguments according to the method first described by Aristotle in which the interactions among speaker, audience, and purpose define the persuasive argument. Take a moment to explore the parts that make up the rhetorical triangle. In this interactivity, click on each of the spinning dots to learn more about these important pieces that are used in persuasive techniques.

View a printable version of the interactivity.

 

Syllogism

Many logical arguments follow the form of a syllogism, or three-part deductive argument, in which a conclusion follows from two premises.

For example:

1. Major premise: All people have hearts.
   
2. Minor premise: Priscilla is a person.
   
3. Conclusion: Therefore, Priscilla has a heart.

Here is another example:

1. Major Premise: All teachers are smart.
2. Minor Premise: Mrs. Smith is a teacher.
3. Conclusion: Mrs. Smith is smart.

As you can see, some syllogisms have sounder logic than others.  Mrs. Smith may not, in fact, be intelligent.  What is sound, however, is the structure of the argument.  Understanding how syllogisms function can make you a stronger user and consumer of rhetoric.

 

Paine paid for the publication of Common Sense himself, and then donated the profit to the Continental Army. Because he anonymously published Common Sense, some readers thought Benjamin Franklin was the author. However, Paine's skill at argumentation was fully revealed when he continued to inspire American rebels during the course of the Revolutionary War. After Washington's crushing defeat in New York, Paine published the first of his Crisis essays.

The Crisis, Number One includes the famous proclamation that "These are the times that try men's souls" and a denunciation of the "summer soldier and the sunshine patriot." It was published in December of 1776 soon after the retreat of the Continental Army in New York, which was one of the lowest points of the war against the British. Paine wrote the piece not only to boost morale and motivate patriotic resistance but also to shame Loyalists and neutrals into supporting the revolutionary cause. President Washington ordered the essay to be read to the soldiers on the banks of the Delaware River, and Congress later agreed to pay Paine eight hundred dollars to continue writing the pamphlets. In the next seven years, Paine wrote sixteen Crisis essays that argued for revolution and independence. In the final essay, Paine announced that the Revolution was "gloriously and happily accomplished."

 

Thomas Paine and Persuasion Review

Now that you have explored the life of Thomas Paine and the effective use of persuasive techniques in writing, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false, then select the appropriate answer. Click on the player button to get started.