Bending Opinion: Essays on Persuasion in the Public Domain (AUP - Leiden University Press)

From classical antiquity until the present, people and groups have taken to public spaces, now largely virtual, in order to relay their message and attempt to persuade others. And for just as long, the methods of organizing and conducting such public debate and decision making have been hotly contested. This collection of essays by distinguished international scholars presents an overview of the state of interdisciplinary scholarship on the art of rhetoric and the varied approaches and methodologies within it. Bending Opinion cites a host of relevant examples, from Barack Obama to Geert Wilders, as well as compelling case studies. Rhetoric Is, From Both A Practical And A Theoretical Perspective, Essential To The Conduct, Analysis And Evaluation Of Public Debates. After All, The Idea Of Democracy Is Closely Intertwined With The Ideal Of Transparent Decision-making On The Basis Of Open High-quality Discussions In The Public Domain. From Classical Antiquity Till The Present Time, Methods Of Organizing And Conducting Public Debate And Decision-making By Which Public Speakers Can Effectively Construe Their Message To Persuade Or To Bend Opinions Of Others Have Been Hotly Contested. Bending Opinion Is A Collection Of Essays By Distinguished International Scholars That Presents An Overview Of The State Of Interdisciplinary Scholarship On The Art Of Rhetoric And The Varied Approaches And Methodologies Within It, Illustrated With Relevant Examples And Compelling Case Studies. Deliberation, Free Speech And The Marketplace Of Ideas / Ineke Sluiter -- Rhetoric, Classicism And Democracy: The Conveyance Of Moral And Political Values In Late Antique Rhetorical Education / Manfred Kraus -- Melody And Rhythm In Ancient Political Discourse. On How Emotions Induce Persuasion / Marie Formarier -- Generalizing Stasis Theory For Everyday Use / Christian Kock -- Rhetoric And Argumentation / J. Anthony Blair -- Generalizing About The Persuasive Effects Of Message Variations: The Case Of Gain-framed And Loss-framed Appeals / Daniel J. O'keefe -- The Contribution Of Praeteritio To Arguers' Strategic Maneuvering In The Argumentation Stage Of A Discussion / A. Francisca Snoeck Henkemans -- Limits And Effects Of Reductio Ad Absurdum Argumentation / Henrike Jansen, Marianne Dingemanse And Ingrid Persoon -- Professionalizing Speech Production. Changes In 15 Years Of Ministerial Speeches / Jaap De Jong And Bas Andeweg --^ The Correlation Between Style And Argument In Newspaper Columns / Hilde Van Belle -- If This Goes On ... : The Rhetorical Construction Of Future Problems / Joel Best -- Exploring Everyday Ethos. Ethos Techniques In Online Discussions About Extraordinary Experiences / Peter Burger And Lotte Anemaet -- The Popular Virgin And The Wolf In Sheep's Clothing: A Case Study Of The Imaging Of Victims And Offenders / Willem Koetsenruijter And Gabry Vanderveen -- Conceptual And Fanciful Or A Depiction Of Reality: Exploiting Visual Modality To Claim Environmental Ethos In Uk Advertizements [sic] For Automotive And Energy Companies (2007-2008) / Susan Hogben -- Rhetoric And The (re)constitution Of Collective Identity: The Example Of Poland / Cezar M. Ornatowski -- Symbolic Power: Political Rhetoric In A State Of Exception / Bart Van Klink, Olivier Lembcke And Pablo Leandro Ciocchini --^ Do New Parties Bring Personalization, A Narrow Issue Agenda And Populist Rhetoric? Evidence From Dutch Election Campaign Coverage From 1998 To 2006 / Janet Takens [and Others] -- Parliamentary Debate And Political Culture: The Dutch Case / Ton Van Haaften -- Talking About Sustainability: Responses To Frames In Persuasive Messages About Sustainable Agriculture And Food / Baldwin Van Gorp And Margot Van Der Goot -- Responding To Expert Arguments: Emerging Lay Topoi In Focus Group Interviews On Gm Crops / Anders Horsbøl -- Speaking Of Terror: Challenging Norms Of Rhetorical Citizenship In Danish Public Discourse / Lisa Storm Villadsen -- Strategic Maneuvering With Linguistic Arguments In The Justification Of Judicial Decisions / Eveline Feteris. Edited By Ton Van Haaften ... [et Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover......Page 1 Bending Opinion......Page 2 Contents......Page 6 Introduction......Page 10 part i Fundamentals of Rhetoric ......Page 24 1 Deliberation, Free Speech and the Marketplace of Ideas......Page 26 2 Rhetoric, Classicism and Democracy:The Conveyance of Moral and Political Values in Late Antique Rhetorical Education......Page 50 3 Melody and Rhythm in Ancient Political Discourse On How Emotions Induce Persuasion......Page 62 4 Generalizing Stasis Theory for Everyday Use......Page 82 5 Rhetoric and Argumentation......Page 96 part ii The Rhetoricof Verbal Presentation......Page 116 6 Generalizing about the Persuasive Effects of Message Variations: The Case of Gain-Framed and Loss-Framed Appeals......Page 118 7 The Contribution of Praeteritio to Arguers’ Strategic Maneuvering in the Argumentation Stage of a Discussion......Page 134 8 Limits and Effects of Reductio ad Absurdum Argumentation......Page 144 9 Professionalizing Speech Production Changes in 15 Years of Ministerial Speeches......Page 160 10 The Correlation between Style and Argument in Newspaper Columns......Page 186 part iii Rhetoric and the Media......Page 202 11 If This Goes On ...: The Rhetorical Construction of Future Problems......Page 204 12 Exploring Everyday Ethos Ethos Techniques in Online Discussions about Extraordinary Experiences......Page 220 13 The Popular Virgin and the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: A Case Study of the Imaging of Victims and Offenders......Page 242 14 “Conceptual and Fanciful” or “A Depiction of Reality”: Exploiting Visual Modality to Claim Environmental Ethos in uk Advertizements for Automotive and Energy Companies(2007-2008)......Page 272 part iv Rhetoric and Politics......Page 290 15 Rhetoric and the (Re)Constitution of Collective Identity: The Example of Poland......Page 292 16 Symbolic Power: Political Rhetoric in a State of Exception......Page 308 17 Do New Parties Bring Personalization,a Narrow Issue Agenda and Populist Rhetoric?Evidence from Dutch Election Campaign Coverage from 1998 to 2006......Page 328 18 Parliamentary Debate and Political Culture: The Dutch Case......Page 350 part v The Rhetoric of Topoi......Page 372 19 Talking about Sustainability: Responses to Frames in Persuasive Messages about Sustainable Agriculture and Food......Page 374 20 Responding to Expert Arguments Emerging Lay Topoi in Focus Group Interviews on gm Crops......Page 396 21 Speaking of Terror: Challenging Norms of Rhetorical Citizenship in Danish Public Discourse......Page 408 22 Strategic Maneuvering with Linguistic Arguments in the Justification of Judicial Decisions......Page 424 Contributors......Page 442 Index......Page 444 With communication playing an increasingly important role in contemporary society, rhetoric appears to have gained in influence and importance. The ancients knew all along: power belongs to those who know how to use their words. Nowadays, we know that rhetoric pervades all discourse. There is no communication without rhetoric. In a society with ever-increasing amounts of information, and with media whose significance cannot be overestimated, we need to know all the mechanisms playing a role in the gathering, making and reporting of information and opinions, and its processing by an audience. Rhetoric is, from both a practical and a theoretical perspective, essential to the conduct, analysis and evaluation of public debates. After all, the idea of democracy is closely intertwined with the ideal of transparent decision-making on the basis of open, informed discussions in the public domain, in political, organizational and journalistic discourse. Bending Opinion cites a host of relevant examples, from Barack Obama to Geert Wilders, as well as compelling case studies. Het belang van communicatie neemt steeds verder toe in de huidige samenleving, en daarmee blijkt ook retoriek aan invloed te winnen. Het was al bekend in de Oudheid: de macht behoort hen toe die weten hoe ze hun woorden moeten gebruiken. Tegenwoordig beheerst retoriek het publieke debat, en is er geen communicatie zonder retoriek. In een samenleving die wordt gekenmerkt door een overvloed aan informatie en zeer invloedrijke media, is het van groot belang belang inzicht te krijgen in de mechanismen die een rol spelen bij het verzamelen, maken en het overbrengen van informatie en meningen, en de manier waarop het publiek deze verwerkt. Retoriek is, zowel vanuit praktisch als theoretisch oogpunt, essentieel voor de uitwerking, analyse en evaluatie van het publieke debat. Uiteindelijk is het idee van democratie nauw vervlochten met het ideaal van transparante besluitvorming op basis van open, goed-ge nformeerderde discussies in het publieke domein en het politieke en journalistieke discours