Analysis of Fallacious Reasoning in a Speech

Assignment:  Please read the speech by George W. Bush, in the link above.  Choose 3 or 4 passages in the speech, select at least 1 fallacy from the passage, and discuss the following points for each passage you choose:

• state Bush’s main idea in the passage
• what fallacy is Bush using and what is his purpose in using it? How is he trying to persuade the audience?
• explain what the fallacy does..ex. suppress evidence, offer questionable evidence, offer irrelevant evidence
• how does Bush intend for the audience to respond? be shocked, be sad, be afraid?  etc.

Rubric: use this as a check list to help organize your writing process

• ——–Title the essay to draw your readers curiosity into your essay (catchy title that ‘hooks’ your reader)

• ______ Paragraph 1, the Introduction: describe the purpose of the speech and briefly state the main topics?
• _____  Thesis statement, at the end of the introduction:  2 or more sentences, that makes a claim about the fallacious strategies Bush usesdiscuss the persuasiveness of the fallacies
• _____  The body of the essay discusses the fallacies found in 3 or 4 passages (quotes) what were the persuasive qualities sometimes fallacious reasoning is very compelling
• ______There is a strong conclusion which discusses the way you understand the persuasive nature fallacies in the speech.

• use proper MLA formatting for heading, in text 3-part quotes
• Remember: fallacies are often the errors in reasoning which occur when people are deliberately trying to persuade. Strong emotions may blind us to the truth or what is right, as is in several cases in the this speech.