Critique of the 1776 Commission Report/Guide for Contributors/Style Guide

History Content Analysis

Classification Labels

Error
Omission
Exaggeration
Understatement
Misstatement
Faulty Analysis

Memory Content Analysis

Classification Labels

Error
Omission
Exaggeration
Understatement
Misstatement
Faulty Analysis

Rhetoric Analysis

The goal of rhetorical analysis is primarily to classify and label the rhetoric in the original text, and not to identify or correct errors, omissions, or flaws in the author's rhetoric. The only exception to this is labeling Flaws in Reasoning or Logic (see below).

Rhetorical classification has the following structure:

Rhetorical Goal & Pattern
Rhetorical Strategy
Reasoning and Informal Logic
1. Forms
2. Statements about Evidence
3. Flaws in Reasoning and Logic
4. Statements about Truth and Knowledge (Epistemology)

Any given paragraph or section in the original text will have two or three types of labels: 1) a Rhetorical Goal or Pattern, 2) a Rhetorical Strategy, and (optional) 3) Reasoning and Informal Logic -- if that paragraph or section has a goal of being persuasive through reasoning or argument.

Note: Any paragraph where this doesn't apply should not have any Rhetoric Analysis. Hypothetical example: "The authors on this project really enjoyed the process of writing and editing this report." This statement would outside the scope of the this book, and therefore should not have any Rhetoric labels or tags.

To this end, a fairly elaborate system of classifications and labels are provided below. Contributors can use Templates for each, as shown in the "What you type" column.

When you enter your analysis of Rhetoric for each paragraph in the original, use the non-verbose template in the "Summary" while the verbose template should be used in your explanatory paragraph(s).

[TODO: Add example ]

Goal & Pattern

Rhetorical Goal & Pattern
Class	Definition	What you type	What you see
Persuasion (or Argument)	Series of statements aimed to convince the reader of the rightness or correctness of the author's claims, assertions, evaluations, or conclusions	{{persuasion \| First few words ... }} {{persuasion \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Persuasion - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Persuasion
Framing	Defining the scope of argument or debate, defining what is or is not important, defining the criteria for evaluating arguments, or defining whose viewpoint matters	{{label1 \| First few words ... }} {{label1 \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Label1 - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Label1
Narration	[description]	{{label1 \| First few words ... }} {{label1 \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Label1 - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Label1
Description	[description]	{{label1 \| First few words ... }} {{label1 \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Label1 - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Label1
Process	[description]	{{label1 \| First few words of ... }} {{label1 \| First few words ... \| verbose}}	Template:Label1 - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Label1
Exemplification	[description]	{{label1 \| First few words ... }} {{label1 \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Label1 - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Label1
Abstraction	To assign phenomena or claims to a general or abstract frame or system of knowledge, in order to make sense of it or highlight what is important in the general case or bigger picture.	{{label1 \| First few words ... }} {{label1 \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Label1 - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Label1
Classification	[description]	{{label1 \| First few words ... }} {{label1 \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Label1 - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Label1
Comparison and Contrast	[description]	{{label1 \| First few words ... }} {{label1 \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Label1 - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Label1

Strategy

Rhetorical Strategy
Class	Definition	What you type	What you see
Reasoning	A statement of claims followed by reasoning/logic and evidence to support those claims, and perhaps comment on counter-arguments or objections. Often presents and analyzes objective facts or data, often by means of explaining causes and effects. Aristotle called it logos.	{{reasoning \| First few words ... }} {{reasoning \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Reasoning - [hover mouse for tooltip] Strategy - Reasoning: " First few words ... "
Authority	Asserting authority, credentials, reputation, or credibility, either for the author or people being quoted or cited. Aristotle grouped this under ethos.	{{authority \| First few words ... }} {{authority \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Authority - [hover mouse for tooltip] Strategy - Authority: " First few words ... "
Values	Asserting moral or ethical values, or justifying a claim based on moral or ethical values. Aristotle grouped this under ethos.	{{values \| First few words ... }} {{values \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Values - [hover mouse for tooltip] Strategy - Values: " First few words ... "
Emotional Appeal	An appeal to emotions or passions. Aristotle called this pathos.	{{emotional appeal \| First few words of emotional appeal... }} {{emotional appeal \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Emotional Appeal - [hover mouse for tooltip] Strategy - Emotional Appeal: " First few words ... "
Affiliation Appeal	An appeal to group or class affiliation. Example: "Every military combat veteran knows that war is not romantic and noble". The group is "military combat veterans", and the claim is "war is not romantic and noble". The implication of this appeal is that people in that group or class would have experiences that lead them to believe this claim.	{{affiliation \| First few words ... }} {{affiliation \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Affiliation - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Affiliation

Forms of Reasoning and Informal Logic

Forms of Reasoning and Informal Logic
Class	Definition	What you type	What you see
Induction	description	{{label1 \| First few words ... }} {{label1 \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Label1 - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Label1
Deduction	description	{{label1 \| First few words ... }} {{label1 \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Label1 - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Label1
Cause and Effect	description	{{label1 \| First few words ... }} {{label1 \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Label1 - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Label1
label1	description	{{label1 \| First few words ... }} {{label1 \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Label1 - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Label1
label1	description	{{label1 \| First few words ... }} {{label1 \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Label1 - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Label1

Statements about Evidence

Statements about Evidence
Class	Definition	What you type	What you see

Flaws in Reasoning or Logic

Flaws in Reasoning or Logic
Class	Definition	What you type	What you see

Statements About Truth and Knowledge (Epistemology)

Epistemology is a very big topic in philosophy and we aren't doing full analysis in this book. For purposes of rhetoric analysis, we are only concerned with labeling the original text when it includes explicit and specific statements about truth and knowledge. Examples: "Everybody knows...", "Nobody will ever know...", "People who have lived and worked on farms will know...", "It is a universal truth that...", "As humans, we must believe [i.e. have faith that]...", "As revealed to us by our Creator...", and so on.

For our purposes, "truth" includes two definitions/categories: "justifiable true belief" (factual or realist truth) and also "beliefs one is willing to act on, in the court of one's highest interests" (pragmatist truth). This includes "sincere truths" and excludes so-called "truths" that are ironic, satiric, for-the-sake-of-argument, deceitful, or aimed to defeat or undermine the process of argumentation or debate itself. These latter statements have an underlying truth that is at odds with their face value or meaning. The implication of these two definitions of "truth" is that we assume the authors of the original text are trying — in good faith — to convince the reader to take meaningful action in the world, and not merely to entertain, stimulate imagination, provoke controversy, for literary or aesthetic effect, or to subvert debate or action.

Statements About Truth and Knowledge (Epistemology)
Class	Definition	What you type	What you see
Given	Asserting something is true because it is given, necessarily true, self-evidently true, axiomatic, undisputed or unquestionably true, etc.	{{given \| First few words of self-evident truths... }} {{given \| First few words of ...\| verbose}}	Template:Given - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Given
Assumption	Asserting something is assumed to be true, including for the sake of argument	{{assumption \| First few words ... }} {{assumption \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Assumption Template:Assumption
Unknowable	Asserting something is cannot be known, and thus is beyond the reach of reasoning, evidence, etc.	{{unknowable \| First few words ... }} {{unknowable \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Unknowable Template:Unknowable
Faith	Asserting something can only be known through faith, i.e. "a light within", as in "...a leap of faith" and "...beyond reason".	{{faith \| First few words ... }} {{faith \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Faith Template:Faith
Intuition	Asserting something is known through intuition -- presumably an intuition developed and refined by experience in the world -- and not through any explicit reasoning process.	{{intuition \| First few words ... }} {{intuition \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Intuition Template:Intuition
Unsolved	Asserting something is as yet an unsolved puzzle or mystery or problem. Does not apply to debates and matters of agreement.	{{unsolved \| First few words ... }} {{unsolved \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Unsolved Template:Unsolved
Contested	Asserting something is a matter of unresolved debate among people with well-founded arguments.	{{contested \| First few words ... }} {{contested \| First few words ...\| verbose}}	Template:Contested Template:Contested

Viewpoints Analysis

When you enter your analysis of Viewpoints for each paragraph in the original, use the non-verbose template in the "Summary" while the verbose template should be used in your explanatory paragraph(s).

[TODO: Add example ]


Classification Label	Definition	What you type	What you see
Overly general	The viewpoint expressed is overly general and is not an accurate characterization of all important viewpoints.	{{overly general \| First few words ... }} {{overly general \| First few words ... \| verbose}}	Overly general - [hover mouse for tooltip] Viewpoints - Overly general: " First few words ... "
Viewpoints Omitted	One or more important viewpoints are omitted	{{viewpoints omitted \| A, B, C,... }} {{viewpoints omitted \| A, B, C,... \| verbose}}	Viewpoints Omitted - [hover mouse for tooltip] Viewpoints Omitted: " A, B, C,... "
Omniscient	The viewpoint expressed is omniscient, i.e. God's-eye view, a.k.a. "eternal truths", "the wisdom of the ages", etc.	{{omniscient \| First few words ... }} {{omniscient \| First few words ... \| verbose}}	Template:Omniscient - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Omniscient
Unspecified	The viewpoint expressed is not specified, and therefore likely confuses the reader	{{unspecified \| First few words ... }} {{unspecified \| First few words ... \| verbose}}	Template:Unspecified - [hover mouse for tooltip] Template:Unspecified

Authorship Analysis

When you enter your analysis of Authorship for each paragraph in the original, use the non-verbose template in the "Summary" while the verbose template should be used in your explanatory paragraph(s).

[TODO: Add example ]


Classification Label	Definition	What you type	What you see
Plagiarism	Text that was taken from another published source without attribution, and therefore would likely be mistaken as original text.	{{plagiarism \| this text was plagiarized... \| Wikipedia}} {{plagiarism \| this text was plagiarized... \| Wikipedia \| verbose}}	Plagiarism - [hover mouse for tooltip] Plagiarism: " this text was plagiarized " was taken without attribution from Wikipedia
Attribution Error	An error or mistake in attribution or source — usually for a quotation	{{attribution error \| original attribution \| corrected attribution}} {{attribution error \| original attribution \| corrected attribution \| verbose}}	Attribution Error - [hover mouse for tooltip] Attribution Error: " original attribution " should be " corrected attribution "