Readings for Sept. 9th

Cicero and Quintilian's Four Questions is a great basis to a Rhetorician's argument. I feel as though using a guided, step by step process is an efficient way to cover an argument and hit all the key points. On page 64, Cicero suggests that readers and writer's use these questions and answer them in order, which I couldn't agree more. The advantages according to Cicero are: "the process of working through questions of conjecture, definition, and quality, in order, will help rhetors to find the points from which they must begin the argument - the point where they disagree." Using this four step is extremely helpful due to the ways it can also break down into more sub-like categories. By asking more detailed questions in each category gives better evidence and more of a backup to a fight.

Using these stases are still useful for beating a path through the thicket of issues that often surround a controversy. By doing these things, a rheotoric can successfully prove an argument using valid points and make their opponent look weak.

I thought the sample that used to show how to correctly use the four stases about abortion was a very interesting choice. It is very obvious that this has been a topic of discussion for years around the United States. However, what is the right choice and what should we do legally for abortion? Personally, I am a pro choice type of person. Personally, after watching many people I have known through school and watching them have kids while they are still kids themselves, scares me. I don't think its fair that children are born into a world when their parents aren't even ready. However, there are boundaries that should be followed. If a girl gets raped and becomes pregnant and doesn't want the baby, I believe it is absolutely exceptable to have an abortion. If there are young kids that are having sex and not using and/or proper protection, and become pregnant, I believe that an abortion is not the right answer, however is it fair to bring a child into a world with young, dumb parents? After debating with myself, I can see why abortion is still an issue in the states. I don't believe there is a right answer to abortion due to all the situations that can occur. The sample brings up many other questions as well, but I believe that a ten page paper could be written about this as well... but that is for another time. :)