Analyze rhetorical ethics, discussing specifically god and devil terms, the goals of rhetorical messages, and the role of social media

Question

Please provide the best answer for the best statement.

Answer 1

Answer: With rhetorical ethics, one can focus on various components. One of these components are god terms and devil terms. These terms too easily lead (or mislead) people without critical reflection. God terms are words such as “freedom,” “equality,” and so on. Devil terms are similar but negative, such as “communist,” “nazi” and so on. God terms and devil terms must be used carefully because they can serve more as propaganda than rhetoric, and when we hear those terms, we should carefully consider what the rhetor is trying to persuade us to think or do. Rhetorical ethics are also focused on the ends or goals of the rhetorical messages. For example, if someone is trying to convince people that we should undertake the genocide of a particular cultural group, does it matter if he or she does not lie or fabricate any evidence in making the argument? So, ethics in rhetoric include a consideration of the goals of the rhetoric. Social media presents new challenges to the need to think through how we attempt to persuade others to view the world as we do (and vice versa). The Internet not only reproduces and reflects larger social issues, but it can also shape the ways that rhetorical discussions take place. For example, Leslie Jones faced tremendous online racist and sexist hatred in 2016. Although racist and sexist discourse is not unique to the online environment, online comments are an important part of our rhetorical environment because they are public.