Rhetoric Essay #1 Analyzing an Argument (Or Putting Con.docx

Rhetoric Essay #1
Analyzing an Argument
(Or: Putting Confirmation Bias to Work)
Task: Write a 3-4- page essay where you describe and analyze
an argument, plus
a one-page reflection on confirmation bias.
For your first essay, you will analyze a text making a strong
argument. The task is not to argue in favor of
a particular conclusion, but to examine the rhetorical moves the
writer uses to make his or her case. You
choose the text, but but it must represent a point of view
conflicting with something on the list of “five
things” about which you have strong feelings that you posted on
the class blog. If stuck, you can choose a
subject you’ve thought of since. The idea is to engage, but
that’s not the same as asking you to agree. One
way of thinking about it is as if your subject is like a table.
What are its strongest and weakest legs?
Perhaps one “leg” is quite strong but if left on its own would it
be more likely to “topple” so to speak?
Doing so will be hard. The best essays often benefit from
subjects that use a range of rhetorical moves.
Essay must be typed and printed in a 12-point standard font,
double-spaced, with a title, name, date, etc.
Stapled to workshop comments.
Deadlines

• Subject due to instructor by Tuesday, October 11 at 5:00 pm.
Send URL or PDF or
equivalent by email to my Hawkmail account: [email protected]
• Rough draft workshop: Monday October 17.
• Last day for individualized instructor feedback: Friday,
October 21.
• Final essay due: Monday, October 24
Examples of potential subjects:
For instance, if you said you think it’s too hard to start a small
business, you will want to find someone
who has an informed opinion on the topic and arguing it’s easier
than ever to start a small business. If
you tend to think one specific cause deserves blame for the
murders at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando,
find something that takes a different tact. Or, say you have a
more generalized belief like “the U.S. is
doing enough to protect itself,” you’ll want to find an article
that argues for a specific policy or action that
makes the opposite point. The connection can be loose.
(Example: “Stop Deploying Robot Zombies in
Nation’s Kindergartens!”) It can blur the lines between politics
and entertainment, or have nothing to do
with politics. If you feel that Taylor Swift or Beyoncé is the
best singer/performer of her generation, find
someone who is critical of that person, perhaps of a controversy
about an album or song or statement. If
being patriotic is one of your five things, then you could find an
article in support of Colin Kaepernick’s
protest, or vice versa. You can also choose something in the
course-pack, understand that what you write
will be read as having had the advantage of class discussion.

Purpose:
Demonstrate your ability to critically analyze rhetorical moves
without arguing on behalf of a question.
Use our natural inclination toward confirmation bias to help us
“see” these moves, while also actively
engaging informed opinions counter to our own and becoming a
little more knowledgeable about he
subject.
Criteria:
1 Rough draft. Workshop participation.
2 Defines the controversy in specific terms. For instance:
“David Brooks thinks colleges aren’t
preparing today’s young people for life after college” explicitly
restates his primary argument.
But also aim to reveal more implicit arguments: “David Brooks
argues the culture of the 1960s
is the root of most of today’s societal problems.” Both are
accurate and in the text. One is more
explicit than the other.
3 Describes (synthesizes) the argument and its context. Explain
the situation. Why has it been
written? Why are readers supposed to care? (What’s the
problem, who caused it, and what
should be done?)
4 Analyzes (interprets) how the author frames and presents the
controversy. What is the evidence
for the author’s interpretation and what is the evidence for your

interpretation of how it’s been
presented? (What appeals are used?) Analysis should be the
majority of the essay. To do so:
- Review the concepts on pages 24-46 and 118-127 in the
course-pack and apply them to your
subject. (Rhetorical triangle. Author, Audience, Situation,
Genre, Language and
Consequences, etc.) Also look at ideas on logical fallacies,
arguments from outrage and
storytelling to see how they might apply.
- Identify critical sections, sentences and words and explain
how these choices help frame the
controversy.
- Consider how the text’s organization is critical to the
argument. How does it start? Where
does it take you?
5 Its tone is such that readers unfamiliar with the assignment
will read your essay thinking its
writer is critical of the article, but will have a harder time being
sure they know your opinion of
the subject. The essay is written as if your reader is unfamiliar
with the article.
6 Backs up all observations with specific references to the text.
7 Sources: reference at least two outside sources that help you
with your analysis. They may help
explain the context and situation, or something about the author,
or something that simply

helped your thinking. Attach a Works Cited page in MLA or
APA.
8 A one-page reflection on the role of confirmation bias in your
approach to this assignment. This
page will follow your works cited page and is your chance to
say whatever you want to say about
the subject, and explore how your own ideas and background
and narratives about the topic
shaped your reading of the article. Did it make it harder?
Easier? Think of it as the story of your
thought process in completing this essay.
Where to Look:
Possible sources include daily newspapers, Politico, Rolling
Stone, The Economist, The Nation, The National
Review, The Huffington Post, Salon.com, Slate.com, Vice.com,
The New Yorker (John Cassidy editorials), The
Daily Beast, The Atlantic, “Top Ten Editorials” (list on
Smithsonianmag.org; full text available elsewhere), the
webbyawards for editorial writing, Pulitzer.org (hosts links to
sets of editorials that won prizes for editorial writing
in a given year): http://www.pulitzer.org/prize-winners-by-
category/214 . If you struggle to find a subject, you can
(1) pick a different topic from your list or (2) ask me for help.
Or both.

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1
Rescript of Reform – Islahat Fermanı – 18 February 1856
The guarantees promised on our part by the Hatt-ı Hümayun of
Gülhane,
and in conformity with the Tanzimat, to all the subjects of my
Empire,
without distinction of classes or of religion, for the security of
their
persons and property and the preservation of their honour, are
today
confirmed and consolidated, and efficacious measures shall be
taken in
order that they may have their full and entire effect.
All the privileges and spiritual immunities granted by my
ancestors ab
antiquo, and at subsequent dates, to all Christian communities
or other
non-Muslim persuasions established in my empire under my

protection,
shall be confirmed and maintained.
Every Christian or other non-Muslim community shall be
bound, within a
fixed period, and with the concurrence of a Commission
composed ad
hod of members of its own body, to proceed, with my high
approbation
and under the inspection of my Sublime Porte, to examine into
its actual
immunities and privileges, and to discuss and submit to my
Sublime
Porte the reforms required by the progress of civilization and of
the age.
The powers conceded to the Christian Patriarchs and Bishops by
the
Sultan Mehmed II and his successors shall be made to
harmonize with the
new position which my generous and beneficent intentions
ensure to
these communities.
The principle of nominating the Patriarchs for life, after the
revision of
the rules of election now in force, shall be exactly carried out,
conformable to the tenor of their Firmans of Investiture.
The Patriarchs, Metropolitans, Archbishops, Bishops, and
Rabbis shall
take an oath on their entrance into office according to a form
agreed upon
in common by my Sublime Porte and the Spritual heads of the
different
religious communities. The ecclesiastical dues, of whatever sort
or nature

they be, shall be abolished and replaced by fixed revenues of
the
Patriarchs and heads of communities, and by the allocation of
allowances
and salaries equitably proportioned to the importance, the rank,
and the
dignity of the different members of the clergy.
The property, real or personal, of the different Christian
ecclesiastics shall
remain intact; the temporal administration of the Christian or
other non-
Muslim communities shall, however, be placed under the
safeguard of an
Assembly to be chosen from among the members, both
ecclesiastics and
laymen, of the said communities.
2
In the towns, small boroughs and villages, where the whole
population is
of the same religion, no obstacle shall be offered to the repair,
according
to their original plan, of buildings set apart for religious
worship, for
schools, for hospitals, and for cemeteries.
The plans of these different buildings, in case of their new
erection, must,
after having been approved by the Patriarchs or heads of
communities, be
submitted to my Sublime Porte, which will approve of them by
my

Imperial order, or make known its observations upon them
within a
certain time.
Each sect, in localities where there are no other religious
denominations,
shall be free from every species of restraint as regards the
public exercise
of its religion.
In the towns, small boroughs, and villages where different sects
are
mingled together, each community, inhabiting a distinct quarter,
shall, by
conforming to the above-mentioned ordinances, have equal
power to
repair and improve its churches, its hospitals, its schools, and
its
cemeteries. When there is a question of the erection of new
buildings, the
necessary authority must be asked for through the Sublime
Porte, which
will pronounce a Sovereign decision according to that authority,
except in
the case of adminitrative obstacles. The intervention of the
adminitrative
authority in all measures of this nature will be entirely
gratuitous. My
Sublime Porte will take energetic measures to ensure to each
sect,
whatever be the number of its adherents, entire freedom in the
exercise of
its religion.
Every distinction or designation tending to make any class
whatever of

the subjects of my Empire inferior to another class, on account
of their
religion, language, or race, shall be for ever effaced from the
Administrative Protocol. The laws shall be put in force against
the use of
any injurious or offensive term, either among private
individuals or on the
part of the authorities.
As all forms of religion are and shall be freely professed in my
dominions, no subject of my Empire shall be hindered in the
exercise of
the religion that he professes, nor shall be in any way annoyed
on this
account. No one shall be compelled to change their religion.
The nomination and choice of all functinaries and other
employees of my
Empire being wholly dependent upon my Sovereign will, all the
subjects
of my Empire, without distinction of nationality, shall be
admissible to
3
public employments, and qualified to fill them according to
their capacity
and merit, and conformably with rules to be generally applied.
All the subjects of my Empire, without distinction, shall be
received into
the Civil and Military Schools of the Government if they
otherwise
satisfy the conditions as to age and examination which are

specified in the
organic regulations of the said schools. Moreover, every
community is
authorized to establish Public Schools of Science, Art, and
Industry. Only
the method of instruction and the choice of professors in
schools of this
class shall be under the control of a Mixed Council of Public
Insturiction,
the members of which shall be named by my Sovereign
command.
All commercial, correctional, and criminal suits between
Muslims and
Christian or other non-Muslim subjects, or between Christians
or other
non-Muslims of different sects, shall be referred to mixed
tribunals.
The proceedings of these tribunals shall be public. The parties
shall be
confronted, and shall produce their witnesses, whose testimony
shall be
received, without distinction, upon an oath taken according to
the
religious law of each sect.
Suits relating to civil affairs shall continue to be publicly tried,
according
to the laws and regulations, before the Mixed Provincial
Councils, in the
presence of the Governor and Judge of the place. Special civil
proceedings, such as those relating to successions of others of
that kind,
between subjects of the same Christian or other non-Muslim
faith, may,

at the request of the parties, be sent before the Councils of the
Patriarchs
or of the communities.
Penal, correctional, and commercial laws, and rules of
procedure for the
mixed tribunals shall be drawn up as soon as possible, and
formed into a
Code. Translation of them shall be published in all the
languages current
in the Empire.
Proceedings shall be taken, with as little delay as possible, for
the reform
of the penitentiary system as applied to houses of detention,
punishment,
or correction, and other esteblishments of like nature, so as to
reconcile
the rights of humanity with those of justice. Corporal
punishment shall
not be administered, even in the prisons, except in conformity
with the
disciplinary regulations established by my Sublime Porte, and
everything
that resembles torture shall be entirely abolished.
4
Infractions of the law in this particular shall be severely
repressed, and
shall, besides, entail, as of right, the punishment, in conformity
with the
Civil Code, of the authorities who may order and of the agents

who may
commit them.
The organization of the police in the capital, in the provincial
towns and
in the rural districts shall be revised in such a manner as to give
to all the
peaceable subjects of my empire the strongest guarantees for the
safety
both of their person and property.
The equality of taxes entailing equality of burdens, as equality
of duties
entails that of rights, Christian subjects and those of other non-
Muslim
sects, as it has been already decided, shall, as well as Muslims,
be subject
to the obligations of the Law of Recruitment. The principle of
obtaining
substitutes, or of purchaing exemption, shall be admitted. A
complete law
shall be published, with as little delay as possible, respecting
the
admission into and service in the army of Christian and other
non-Muslim
subjects.
Proceedings shall be taken for a reform in the constitution of
the
Provincial and Communal Councils, in order to ensure fairness
in the
choice of the deputies of the Muslim, Christian, and other
communities,
and freedom of voting in the councils. My Sublime Porte will
take into
consideration the adoption of the most effectual means for

ascertaining
exactly and for controlling the result of the deliberations and of
the
decisions arrived at.
As the laws regulation the purchase sale, and disposal of real
property are
common to all the subjects of may empire, it shall be lawful for
foreigners to possess landed property in my dominions,
conforming
themselves to the laws and police regulations, and bearing the
same
charges as the native inhabitants, and after arrangements have
been come
to with foreign powers.
The taxes are to be levied under the same denomination from all
the
subjects of my empire, without distinction of class or of
religion. The
most prompt and energetic means for remedying the abuses in
collecting
the taxes, and especially the tithes, shall be cosidered. The
system of
direct collection shall gradually, and as soon as possible, be
substituted
for the plan of farming, in all the branches of the revenues of
the State.
As long as the present system remains in force, all agents of the
Government and all members of the Meclis shall be forbidden,
under the
severest penalties, to become lessees of any farming contracts
which are

5
announced for public competition, or to have any beneficial
interest in
carrying them out. The local taxes shall, as far as possible, be
so imposed
as not to affect the sources of production or to hinder the
progress of
internal commerce.
Works of public utility shall receive a suitable endowment, part
of which
shall be raised from private and special taxes levied in the
Provinces,
which shall have the benefit of the advantages arising from the
establishment of ways of communication by land and sea.
A special law having been already passed, which declares that
the budget
of the revenue and expenditure of the State shall be drawn up
and made
known every year, the said law shall be most scrupulously
observed.
Proceedings shall be taken for revising the emoluments attached
to each
office.
The heads of each community and a delegate designed by my
Sublime
Porte shall be summoned to take part in the deliberations of the
Supreme
Council of Justice on all occasions which might interest the
generality of
the subjects of my Empire. They shall be summoned specially
for this
purpose by my Grand Vezir. The delegates shall hold office for

one year;
they shall be sworn on entering upon their duties. All the
members of the
Council, at the ordinary and extraordinary meetings, shall freely
give
their opinions and their votes, and no one shall ever annoy them
on this
account.
Steps shall also be taken for the formation of roads and canals
to increase
the facilities of communication and increase the sources of the
wealth of
the country. Everything that can impede commerce or
agriculture shall be
abolished. To accomplish these objects means shall be sought to
profit by
the science, the art, and the funds of Europe, and thus gradually
to
execute them.
Such being my wishes and my commands, you, who are my
Grand Vezir,
will, according to custom, cause this Imperial Firman to be
published in
my capital and in all parts of my Empire; and you will watch
attentively,
and take all the necessary measures that all the orders which it
contains
be henceforth carried out with the most rigorous punctuality.
____________________________

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History 333
Document Analysis Test
200 points
INTRODUCTION
THE PURPOSE OF THIS TEST IS FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO
READ AND INTERPRET PRIMARY SOURCES, AND FOR ME
TO EVALUATE YOUR ABILITY TO DO SO.
GROUP B:
1. Rescript of Reform
1. Herzl, The Jewish State
1. “Qasim Amin Argues for the Emancipation of Women in
Egypt”
1. "Bahithat al-Badiya Advocates Educational and Economic
Rights for Egyptian Women, 1909" [note this is in the same file
as the Articles in Iranian Magazines]
II. Do ALL of the following.
Note: QUOTATIONS FROM THE DOCUMENTS ARE

STRONGLY RECOMMENDED, AS WELL AS QUOTATIONS
FROM ANY SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS FROM CLASS
SUCH AS THE TEXTBOOK, ARTICLES, ETC.
1. Write the title of the document and identify it as belonging to
Group A, B, or C. Example: Document A: Husayn-McMahon
Correspondence.
1. Briefly summarize the document: what is it (letter, newspaper
article, treaty, etc); what is the main point or points, or
argument? Who is the writer, and why did s/he write this? (If
the exact, named author is unknown, why did the group or
institution produce it?)
1. Context. What is the main purpose of the document? Who is
the intended audience/reader of the document? What is the point
of view presented in this material? Look for clues within the
document itself. You may not have all of the answers to these
questions, but you should be able to answer many of these by
intelligent, informed inference. USE CLASS READINGS –
TEXTBOOK, ARTICLES, ETC – TO HELP YOU.
1. Language. What kind of language is used? (I don't mean
language in the sense of Arabic, Persian, Turkish). Analyze the
vocabulary, language style, tone of the writing and how it
affects one’s understanding of the document. Is it formal?
Argumentative? Persuasive? Analyze how the writer uses
certain words and expressions or rhetorical devices to make
his/her argument or points. USE QUOTATIONS AND
EXAMPLES TO ILLUSTRATE YOUR POINTS. BE SPECIFIC.
1. Significance and meaning. What is the historical significance
of the document?
III. Format:
1. Include your name, the date and the title of the document:
Document Test, on the first page or a title page (latter optional).
1. Be sure to include the full name of each document, write in
full sentences, and answer all of the questions. If some answers

are not clear or known from the document itself, say so, and
then state your inference from what you have learned from other
sources, such as other class readings.
1. Citation: If you quote or refer to the document (strongly
recommended) and/or the class readings (ALSO STRONGLY
RECOMMENDED), cite them very simply with author name or
a clear, simple title, and the page number in parentheses.
Example of reading citation: (Thompson, 4). Example of
document citation: (Husayn-McMahon, 5).
1. Length: each document analysis should be between 300-500
words (1 to 2 ½ double-spaced, typed pages of 12 BLACK cpi
font) for each document, excluding things like your name, title,
etc. Total length should therefore be between 900-1500 words
(2 ½- 5 pages total).
1. IMPORTANT. STAPLE THE PAGES TOGETHER AND
NUMBER THEM.
IV. How you’ll be evaluated, overall:
1. The clarity of your analysis and writing.
1. Demonstrating understanding of the document and its
importance.
1. Being specific.
1. Following instructions.
V. How you will be specifically evaluated: SEE GRADING
RUBRIC

Rhetoric Essay #1 Analyzing an Argument (Or Putting Con.docx

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