9: How Arguments Establish Trust and Connection (Ethos)
- Page ID
- 31363
.jpg?revision=2 "Anna Mills")
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Learning Outcomes
- Describe the value of building trust and connection in a written academic argument
- Evaluate the effectiveness and legitimacy of an argument’s appeals to trust and connection
- Use effective, legitimate strategies for building trust and connection in written arguments.
- 9.1: An Argument Implies a Relationship
- Any argument implies an imagined relationship between reader and writer. A writer can build trust in that relationship to encourage the reader to credit the argument.
- 9.2: Authority
- Writers can build credibility by referring to the ideas of recognized experts on a topic.
- 9.3: Distance and Intimacy
- Writers can build trust by employing distance and formality, or, on the other hand, by creating a sense of intimacy and informality.
- 9.4: Shared Sense of Identity
- Writers can invoke a shared sense of identity to create a connection with readers and build trust.
- 9.5: Respect and Goodwill
- Writers can show respect and goodwill toward readers by expressing ideas clearly, guiding with clear transitions, and anticipating questions. All of this builds trust.
- 9.6: Moral Character
- If the writer comes across as honest, reasonable, and otherwise moral, readers will be more likely to trust the argument.
- 9.7: Combining Different Approaches to Trust and Connection
- A single argument can connect with readers and build trust in different ways at different points.
- 9.8: Reaching a Hostile Audience (Rogerian Argument)
- By seeking common ground, writers can build trust with a hostile audience. In Rogerian argument, writers practice empathy for perspectives they don't agree with and search for shared goals and values.
- 9.9: Faulty Appeals to Trust
- Appeals to trust need to be sincere and aligned with the argument’s reasoning to be legitimate.
