In toulmins model of persuasion the is what the persuader wants to be accepted

Over two thousand years ago, a famous Greek teacher, scientist, and rhetorician, Aristotle, taught his students that there were three basic ways of convincing your audience of something—or at least getting your audience to listen to what you have to say. We still use these concepts today. You will often hear ethos, pathos, and logos referred to as the three modes of persuasion.

These modes of persuasion will probably come quite naturally to you, but having a strong awareness of how to be most convincing to your audience will help you as you write argumentative essays.

Ethos

Ethos is a way of convincing your audience of your credibility as a writer. Some credibility can be, in a way, built-in. Level of education in relation to the topic may provide some built-in ethos. For example, if a Psychology professor were writing an essay about the psychology of eating disorders, she or he would have strong, built-in ethos. But, if that same professor were to try to write a paper on quantum physics, her or his educational background would provide no built-in ethos.

You need not worry if you have no built-in ethos or credibility. There is also the kind of ethos or credibility you work to establish as you write. By using appeals to emotion and logic responsibly, you can build your ethos. You can also build your ethos by using credible sources. When you use expert research and opinion in your writing, you get to use the expert ethos to build your own.

Pathos

Most simply, pathos is the appeal to our human emotions. We’re more often moved by our emotions than by logic or common sense, so pathos is a powerful mode of persuasion. As a writer, your job is to make the audience feel connected with your topic. This is where pathos can help. Think about the broad spectrum of human emotions: sadness, humor, pity, sympathy, anger, outrage; these are all things that motivate us. Pathos provides writers with a tool to get the audience emotionally invested in the message.

Pathos is a powerful means of persuasion. But you should be very careful with pathos. Pathos is generally the least respected of the three ethical appeals in the academic community. In many fields of study, emotion is something that should be left out completely. Most of the time, the best advice is to be careful with pathos and use it wisely. Misusing pathos can negatively affect your ethos or credibility.

Logos

Logos is the appeal to our logical side. Logos is about the facts we present in our writing and the logical manner in which we present our ideas. Having strong logos is one important way that we can build our ethos within an essay. For example, if you’re writing a research paper on the Plague in Medieval times, you’ll want to gather a good deal of research and then incorporate that research in an organized and effective manner. You should also make sure that your points or arguments are logical in nature, and you should avoid faulty logic.

Ethos, pathos, and logos are all interconnected. When you write an argument, you’ll want to think about how these modes of persuasion work together to make for a strong argument overall.

The Toulmin Model is a format for preparing an argument. For more information on argumentation contact the Debate Team

The Toulmin Model

Claim: The conclusion of the argument or the statement the speaker wishes the audience to believe.

Grounds: The foundation or basis for the claim, the support.

Warrant: The reasoning that authorizes the inferential leap from the grounds to the claim.

Backing: The support for the warrant.

Modality: The degree of certainty with which the advocate makes the claim.

Rebuttal: Exceptions that might be offered to the claim.

Example of the Toulmin Model:

Claim: The Ravens will win the Super Bowl this year.

QUESTION: What are you basing that claim on?

Grounds: They have the best defense in the league.

QUESTION: Why does the fact that they have the best defense in the league lead you to believe that the team with the best defense will win?

Warrant: The team with the best defense usually wins.

QUESTION: How can you make this claim?

Backing: The team with the best defense has won each of the last five years.

QUESTION: How are you sure that the Ravens will win the Super Bowl?

Modality: The probability that the Jets will win the Super Bowl is 80 percent.

QUESTION: If you are so confident that the Ravens will win the Super Bowl then why don’t you mortgage your house and place a huge bet?

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Summary:

This resource describes how to construct an argument using the Toulmin method, a model for argumentation developed by Stephen Toulmin in the 1950s. 

By Erin McNulty

What is the Toulmin Method?

Developed by philosopher Stephen E. Toulmin, the Toulmin method is a style of argumentation that breaks arguments down into six component parts: claim, grounds, warrant, qualifier, rebuttal, and backing. In Toulmin’s method, every argument begins with three fundamental parts: the claim, the grounds, and the warrant.

A claim is the assertion that authors would like to prove to their audience. It is, in other words, the main argument.

The grounds of an argument are the evidence and facts that help support the claim.

Finally, the warrant, which is either implied or stated explicitly, is the assumption that links the grounds to the claim.

For example, if you argue that there are dogs nearby:

In this example, in order to assert the claim that a dog is nearby, we provide evidence and specific facts—or the grounds—by acknowledging that we hear barking and howling. Since we know that dogs bark and howl (i.e., since we have a warrant) we can assume that a dog is nearby. 

Now, let’s try a more academic approach. Let’s say that you are writing a paper on how more research needs to be done on the way that computer-mediated communication influences online and offline relationships (a paper, in other words, very much like the OWL's APA Sample paper).

In this case, to assert the claim that additional research needs to be made on how online communication affects relationships, the author shows how the original article needs to account for technological, demographic, and modality limitations in the study.  Since we know that when a study lacks a perspective, it would be beneficial to do more research (i.e., we have a warrant), it would be safe to assume that more research should be conducted (i.e. the claim).

The other three elements—backing, qualifier, and rebuttal—are not fundamental to a Toulmin argument, but may be added as necessary. Using these elements wisely can help writers construct full, nuanced arguments.

Backing refers to any additional support of the warrant. In many cases, the warrant is implied, and therefore the backing provides support for the warrant by giving a specific example that justifies the warrant.

The qualifier shows that a claim may not be true in all circumstances. Words like “presumably,” “some,” and “many” help your audience understand that you know there are instances where your claim may not be correct. 

The rebuttal is an acknowledgement of another valid view of the situation. 

Including a qualifier or a rebuttal in an argument helps build your ethos, or credibility. When you acknowledge that your view isn’t always true or when you provide multiple views of a situation, you build an image of a careful, unbiased thinker, rather than of someone blindly pushing for a single interpretation of the situation.

For example:

We can also add these components to our academic paper example:

Note that, in addition to Stephen Toulmin’s Uses of Argument, students and instructors may find it useful to consult the article “Using Toulmin’s Model of Argumentation” by Joan Karbach for more information. 

Which part of the Toulmin model of argumentation consists of any term or phrase that indicates how strong the claim is?

qualifier : the element in the Toulmin model of argumentation that is any term or phrase that indicates the strength of the claim. verifiers : the element added to the Toulmin model of argumentation that provides justification for believing the grounds.

What are the three elements of persuasion quizlet?

The three elements of persuasion that Aristotle recognized are ethos, logos and pathos.

What does it mean to persuade quizlet?

Terms in this set (27) persuasion. the process by which a message induces change in beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors. central route to persuasion. occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts.

What are the three types of questions that give rise to persuasive speeches?

Persuasive propositions respond to one of three types of questions: questions of fact, questions of value, and questions of policy. These questions can help the speaker determine what forms of argument and reasoning are necessary to support a specific purpose statement.