Rhetorical Activity 4 (ARCS pg. 153)

Use Aristotle's common topics to analyze some issue that you want to understand better. Ask each of the questions. Write down all answers that come to you. Remember the point is to find every argument available. Systematic topics (if you are thorough) will turn up more arguments than you need.

CONJECTURE

What exists
a "war" in another country
occupation of one country in another
animosity towards the US government for this occupation
a fear of the unknown
a problem
a solution
a growing feeling of hostility towards the US from other countries

What does not exist
peace
compassion for fellow man
understanding
respect for life
respect for difference
things that need to be feared
a good solution
people willing to admit they were wrong
a plan
'patriotism'
the resources to continue

The size/extent of what exists
fatalities are large
amount of money we owe is huge
the number of people who care about what happens is many
the number of people who know what is really going on is few
the years it will take to fix this are a lot
if it can be 'fixed'
the problem is big
time has run out
the problem is not that big
we have plenty of time to think about this
the fatalities were awful, but necessary

How things used to be
the US was one of the richest nations in the world
US was one of the more feared (if not respected)
US was the most respected
things were pretty much the same
things were completely different
things are better now that we all have to walk more and use less gas
things are so much worse now-who knows what will happen?

How things will be in the future
US will bounce back to the top of the world
US will become a third world country
US will be occupied and all your children will speak a different language someday
all stations will broadcast Stephen Colbert, all the time
US will lose its freedom
US will be more powerful than ever
US will resort to off-shore drilling
US will stop using nonrenewable resources

DEGREE

What is greater/lesser than the norm
the economy is worse
eco-consciousness is better
international relations is worse
international relations is better

What is relatively greater/lesser than something else
I have no idea what this means

What is good, just, beautiful, honorable, etc
helping the people of Iraq
learning to be more eco-friendly
being patriotic
respecting the government and their choices
going against the government and their choices
showing the world we are not what they think we are
pulling our troops out as soon as possible
helping them to vote democratically

What is better, more just, etc
now Iraqis have seen democracy
the fact that Americans are all riled up

What is less good, less just
staying in Iraq
being in Iraq
pulling out of Iraq
leaving Iraq, ever

What is good for all people
see above

What is good for a few people
this could get kind of redundant, as every person could say any thing about all of these

What has been better in the past
the economy
not being in a war
having the strength of the dollar
patriotism!

What will be better in the future
how can you answer this? who knows how anything is going to turn out?



POSSIBILITY

What is possible
we return to the way things were before Bush entered office
WWIII
Canada invades and we all speak French
the return of slavery
gay marriage is legalized
waffles are outlawed
everything
nothing

What is impossible
returning to the way things were
going back
to ever leave Iraq
to ever have a black president


What is more or less possible
more possible that things will change
less possible that things will change
more possible that when we leave Iraq, bad things will happen
(and less possible)

What is possible in the future
the world will ban together to stop this from ever happening again
US citizens will not allow a hollow war
US will go back to being the world power that it has always been and all the liberals will stop bitchin

What is impossible in the future
to learn from our mistakes

What was possible or impossible in the past
impossible for the average citizen to know what was really going on in the government
possible for a US citizen to travel out of the country and having a stronger currency
impossible in the past to even consider conservation of fuels
possible to not worry about the economy

and etc and etc.....