Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion

Parts 1-2, Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. They should have (1) a personal goal and (2) a goal for one’s audience. (Chapter 2)

2. Logos, ethos, and pathos (Chapter 4)

Short Answer

1. This anecdote illustrates that arguments big or small are an innate part of human nature. It also teaches readers their first rhetoric (or argument) tool: concession, which is when one appears to agree with their opponent, only to use the peace to their advantage. (Chapter 1)

2. It’s important to remember Little Orphan Annie when arguing in the future tense because Annie sings “the sun will come out tomorrow,” yet even she cannot know for sure if the sun is going to come out then. She has to, as the next line of the song goes, bet her “bottom dollar” that it will happen. Therefore, persuaders should bear in mind that, like Little Orphan Annie, they must make conjectures about the future in order to be persuasive in deliberate rhetoric. (Chapter 3)

Part 2, Chapters 5-8

Reading Check

1. 8 Mile (Chapter 5)

2. Virtue or cause (Chapter 6)

3. Practical wisdom or craft (Chapter 7)

Short Answer

1. Heinrichs considers ethos to be the most important aspect of rhetoric because it puts an audience into an “ideal state of persuasibility” (Chapter 8). The persuader must appear to be someone the audience can identify with, and also someone they view as a credible leader. To achieve this effective self-presentation, the persuader must deploy the three essential qualities of ethos: virtue, phronesis, and disinterest. (Chapters 5-8)

Part 2, Chapters 9-10

Reading Check

1. The passive voice (Chapter 10)

2. Autopilot (Chapter 10)

Short Answer

1. “The Aquinas Maneuver” involves the persuader controlling the mood of the listener by using techniques like storytelling to shape the listener’s emotions. Another tool that can be used to control the mood is pathos, which is emotional volume control or emotional self-control. (Chapter 9)

2. Storytelling is an important tool in pathos because experience and expectation both shape emotion. Telling a story with many details makes the story itself seem like a real experience, one that could happen to anyone rather than just the teller (the persuader). Detailed stories are more effective than ranting at shifting/changing someone’s mood. (Chapter 9)

Part 2, Chapters 11-14

Reading Check

1. When people pitch an argument that is persuasive to themselves, not the listener (Chapter 11)

2. The first is deductive logic; the second is inductive logic. (Chapter 13)

3. The hook (Chapter 14)

Short Answer

1. Framing is a way of moving both the topic and opponent to more favorable ground at the outset of an argument. This strategy helps reset disputes. You can reframe in several different ways, including by finding commonplace words that carry emotional weight with an audience and redefining certain terms (also known as stance). (Chapter 12)

Part 3, Chapters 15-16

Reading Check

1. They are (1) speaking in a tense that doesn’t fit, (2) arguing about values or offenses instead of choices, or (3) forcing someone out of an argument through humiliation. (Chapter 16)

2. Truthiness (Chapter 15)

Short Answer

1. The seven deadly logical sins are (1) false comparison, (2) bad example, (3) ignorance as proof, (4) tautology, (5) false choice, (6) Red Herring or Chewbacca Defense, and (7) wrong ending. Heinrichs finds tautology to be one of the most boring logical fallacies, because it is essentially just the persuader repeating their original argument’s premise using different words. (Chapter 15)

2. One major difference between formal logic and rhetoric is their “attitudes toward the rules” (Chapter 14). Formal logic has extremely strict rules, while rhetoric has essentially no rules. (Chapter 15-16)

Part 3, Chapters 17-19

Reading Check

1. Disinterest, virtue, and practical wisdom (Chapter 17)

2. “That depends” (Chapter 18)

3. The four tools are (1) audience targeting, (2) ironic love, (3) virtue pose, and (4) aggressive interest. (Chapter 19)

Short Answer

1. An argument begins with a persuader trying to determine the audience’s needs, and manipulation comes into play when the persuader tries to convince their audience that their solution matches these needs. To prevent manipulation, an individual should look for disconnects between their own needs and those of the persuader. If there is a gap between needs, Heinrichs argues against trusting the persuader’s disinterest. Similarly, one should not trust a persuader if they fail to give a straightforward answer when asked who benefits from their choice. (Chapter 17)

Part 4, Chapters 20-21

Reading Check

1. They are (1) figures of speech, (2) figures of thought, and (3) tropes. (Chapter 20)

2. They are (1) metonymy, (2) synecdoche, (3) hyperbole, (4) and profanity.

Short Answer

1. Figures help the persuader become more adept at wordplay. They make clichés seem clever and, in general, lend rhythm and spice to a conversation—all of which help with persuasion. (Chapter 20)

2. Tropes change the meaning of a word by making it stand for something else entirely. Essentially, tropes help the persuader manipulate reality to suit the situation (Chapter 21)

Part 4, Chapters 22-24

Reading Check

1. Rhetorical timing (Chapter 23)

2. They are (1) timing, (2) whether an argument uses ethos, pathos, or logos appeals, and (3) gestures that will help the appeal. (Chapter 24)

Short Answer

1. The five steps are (1) set new goals for oneself after a mistake, (2) be first with the news, (3) acknowledge one’s mistake and then switch immediately to the future, (4) avoid belittling or lashing out at others, and (5) focus on standards over apologies. (Chapter 22)

2. By acknowledging ethos liabilities with the right timing (kairos), it is possible for the persuader to engender even greater trust in their audience. With kairos, the persuader can help turn an argument in their favor. (Chapter 23)

Part 5, Chapters 25-29

Reading Check

1. How to reduce noise pollution (Chapter 25)

2. To change the town constituents’ minds, to persuade the town to restrict the use of leaf blowers to certain times of day (Chapter 25)

3. The period (Chapter 26)

Short Answer

1. He thinks that the absence of rhetoric is behind modern society’s deep divisions. The three pillars of modern society—journalism, science, and government—are crumbling in what Heinrichs calls a post-fact era. Americans no longer enjoy arguing to persuade—instead they fight to win. This kind of aggressiveness replaces deliberation with diatribe. (Various chapters)