LU1: Introduction to

Persuasion Present
and Past
COSC6212
Danille Janse van Vuuren

LO1: Define and describe persuasive communication

LO2: Differentiate between different forms of persuasion
LO3: Differentiate between a theory and a model with reference to
persuasion
LO4: Discuss the functions of persuasion in a democracy, using
examples to illustrate your answer

20

LU
Objectives

LO5: Differentiate between Western and African conceptions of

democracy
LO6: Provide reasons why a democratic state cannot exist without
press freedom
LO7: Provide reasons for the limitations applicable to freedom of
expression, freedom of the press and religious freedom
LO8: Critically discuss the implications inherent in the democratic
principle of freedom, which upholds certain individual rights such
as the right to formulate ones own thoughts
LO9: Critically discuss what Mill viewed as the biggest threat to a
persons individuality
LO10: Explain the underlying communicological idea regarding

LO11: Discuss the relevance of persuasive communication for

contemporary South African society
LO12: Identify and discuss the greatest threats to the principles of
freedom and equality in South Africa today
L13: Critically discuss the role of ethics in persuasion

20

LU
Objectives

LO14: Explain some of the ways in which an individual can resist

persuasion, including McGuires theory
LO15: Discuss how social consciousness relates to selfconsciousness of persuasion
LO16: Discuss the Greek roots of persuasion and rhetoric,
including Platos and Aristotles principles
L17: Explain the Aristotelian artistic proofs
LO18: Illustrate the difference between a syllogism and an
enthymeme by way of an example
LO19: Explain which aspect of speaking/ rhetoric is emphasised in
the elocutionary movement
LO20: Apply relevant persuasive communication theory covered in
LU1 to the provided LU1 case study

Material
used for
this LU

YOUR module guide, pp.23-28

YOUR prescribed book: pp.138
CASE STUDY 1

Persuasion

 We will begin our study of persuasive

communication by looking at persuasion as a form
of communication that is vested in all aspects of
our lives

Learning
Unit Intro

We will also explore key notions and the

underpinning theory of persuasion
Furthermore, how democracy and ethics fits into
this picture
And, finally, we will cement our knowledge of
persuasive communication by engaging with a
relevant case study

LU1
Learning
Objective

Define and describe persuasive

communication
(Text book, pp.3-5)

Persuasive
Communication??

Persuasion can be defined

as: a process of
communication in which a
communicator succeeds in
voluntary forming,
sustaining or changing
the attitudes or behaviour
of a person in the
communicators interest (de
Wet, 2013, p.4)
We are confronted by
persuasion in all fields of
human existence
Persuasion takes place in all
forms of communication,

 Persuasion can be defined as: (1) a process of

communication in which a (2) communicator succeeds in
voluntary (3) forming, sustaining or changing the
attitudes or behaviour of a person in the (4)
communicators interest (de Wet, 2013, p.4)

LU1
Learning
Objective

Differentiate between different forms

of persuasion (Text book, p.5)

1. Education: helps learners understand

although, for persuasion to work people do not
necessarily have to understand
2. Seduction: often used in advertising and
PR aims to persuade the recipient to
surrender (and buy a product)
3. Sanctions: are tactics applied
to enforce obedience to rules and
laws (can be overt and covert
tactics)
4. Manipulation: the successful
attempt by the communicator to
use the recipient as an object to be
exploited

5. Blackmail: is a form of sever

manipulation. It is the act of putting
pressure on a person or a group to do
something they do not necessarily want to
do
6. Propaganda: is usually used for
good or bad intentions. It is the
communication to many with the
intention mass persuade
7. Indoctrination: the systematic inculcation of beliefs and
attitudes into a person(s) with little or no alternatives.
Indoctrination is usually practices by authoritarian states or
in religion
8. Psychological warfare: is used when a persuader
wishes to destroy a foreign adversarys morale by
psychological means (attacking beliefs and actions).

*Activity 1,
p.26

LU1
Learning
Objective

Differentiate between a theory and a model

with reference to persuasion (Text book,
p.6)

Theory is a creative
interpretation or
explanation of why things
happen the way they do
(phenomena)
In short theory is a way
of knowing
A theory has a
comprehensive breakdown
of information
In persuasion a theory
attempts to interpret or
explain how persuasion

A model is a limited
graphic representation
of a certain
phenomena
It highlights certain
aspects of the process
under investigation
A model of persuasion
would depict a figure of
how persuasion works

LU1
Learning
Objective

Discuss the functions of persuasion in a

democracy, using examples to illustrate
your answer (Text book, pp.6-17)

Democrac
y

In order for a Democracy to

work and survive it must
rely on persuasion
Persuasion is used in
democracy to settle
disputes, sell ideas and
products or change
peoples attitudes
Persuasion in democracy
applies to interpersonal
relationships, organisations,
PR, advertising, print and
broadcast journalism, public
speeches, religion and the
arts
Thus, persuasion is an

Democracy can be defined as: a procedure

designed to (1) place a government in office
and to (2) establish a public order in which (3)
diverse legal interests are harmonised and
balanced (de Wet, 2013, p.7)

(1)
(2)
(3)
The functions of a democracy:
1. Democracy as a form of government
(pp.7-8)
2. Democracy as an ideology (pp.9-10)
3. Democracy as freedom (pp.11-14)
4. Democracy as equality (pp.14-17)

LU1
Learning
Objective

Differentiate between Western and

African conceptions of democracy (Text
book, pp.8-10)

Western Philosophy

(Text book, p.8)

Democracy is seen as
representative or indirect
Where the people choose by voting
who should represent them
And the chosen representative is
answerable to the people
The following 3 categories are key to
this form of democracy:
1. Government should reflect the
peoples electoral will and choice
(enforced by a constitution)
2. Basic individual freedoms (freedom
of speech, information, the press,
religion and so on)
3. Separation of powers in government

African Philosophy

(Text book, pp.9-

10):

Democracy is a matter of socialist

goals and aims
The focus is on communalism
Society is seen as a collectivist
Holds that unity through consensus
and dialogue is the ideal
And that popular participation and
good governance with clear
objectives (derived from consensus)
for the continent
The protection of human rights
And the focus on people-centred
development and marketorientated economies

LU1
Learning
Objective

Provide reasons why a democratic

state cannot exist without press
freedom

 Freedom in Democracy can be defined as: (1) freedom from some

possible restraint and (2) freedom to do what you want or
choose to do provided that you do it responsibly, [and] that you
(3) do not encroach upon another persons freedom (de Wet,
2013, p.11)
(1)
(2)
(3)

Press freedom provides the media with

the capacity and the task to safeguard
society (gate-keeper or watchdog) and
provide them with the truth
Press Freedom means that the
government does not control the media
or the information that they publish & are
therefore unable to censor the press
Press Freedom results in the media
producing information that informs and
educates the masses
Press Freedom provides journalists and
media institutions with the protection to
cover any topic and take on any
person/institution (even government) in a
country without fear of retribution

LU1
Learning
Objective

Provide reasons for the limitations

applicable to freedom of expression,
freedom of the press and religious
freedom (Text book, pp.12-13)

The limitations applicable to freedom of expression, freedom

of the press and religious freedom?
Legal constraints:

Cultural or traditional
constraints:

-13
Societal
constraints:

Duty-bound
constraints:

LU1
Learning
Objectiv
e

Critically discuss the implications inherent

in the democratic principle of freedom,
which upholds certain individual rights
such as the right to formulate ones own
thoughts (Text book, pp.12-13)

we have the freedom to choose and the

freedom to think
Thus, any attempt to impose or prohibit
individual thought is against the principle
of freedom of thought
However, it should be noted that just because
we think does not mean that our thoughts are
entirely ours
Thus, our thinking is not necessarily free from
external influences (such as cultural or
custom influences or social circumstances)
Freedom of thought and discussion is
necessary to foster free development of
individuality
The implication here is that there will be no
real freedom for a person in a democracy if
conflicting interests cannot be recognised

LU1
Learning
Objectiv
e

Critically discuss what Mill viewed as the

biggest threat to a persons individuality
(Text book, pp.13-14)

John Stuart Mill (1975) argues

that the threat to individual
freedom comes from the
pressures of public
sentiment (opinions and
attitudes of the public)
Thus, the majority impose
their own opinions and
inclinations as a rule to
others
He further argues that the
pressures of public
sentiments will lead to
conformity and
intellectual stagnation

LU1
Learning
Objective

10

Explain the underlying communicological

idea regarding freedom in a democracy
(Text book, p.14)

 The underlying communicological idea is

that in a democracy freedom revolves
around providing an individual with
opportunities to make meaningful choices
about their own existence
Thus, freedom is key for individuals to
make their own decisions and not be told
what decisions to make
In the same light rather to make mistakes
in individual thinking than be directed by
someone else's thinking
The basic idea of freedom is that selfdirections (which is choosing and expressing
your own thoughts) in a responsible
manner is far better than have decisions
made for you or imposed upon you by others

LU1
Learning
Objective

11

Discuss the relevance of persuasive

communication for contemporary South
African society

Educational Persuasion
in South Africa
Visit the following
webpage:
http://www.lovelife.org.za/

Political
Persuasion in
South Africa
Visit the following
webpage:
http://www.da.org
.za
/

LU1
Learning
Objective

12

Identify and discuss the greatest threats to

the principles of freedom and equality in
South Africa today (Text book, pp.17-19)

South Africa is an
example of a
Constitutional
Democracy: with a
three-tier system of
government and an
independent judiciary,
operating in a
parliamentary system
As stated
before the
principles of
freedom and
equality
should reign
supreme in a
democratic
state

 South Africas constitution incorporates a

number of democratic principles
Most notably: the principle of freedom
(expression, press and religious freedom) and
the principle of equality (equality before
the law, political equality and equality of
opportunity)
The limitations that we are concerned with
is the influence of the social, political
and ideological climate of South Africa
on the principles of freedom and equality
De Wet provides us with an excellent South
African example (p.17-18):
In 2005 a cartoon was released by the Mail
& Guardian that depicted the Prophet
Muhammad (satire) this was not received
well by the South African Muslim community

 A number of outcomes resulted from

this - stretching from death threats to
High Court interdicts preventing similar
matters from arising
Many stated the restrictive impact this
would have on South Africas principle of
press freedom and it did!
This clearly points that the press and
media are also bound by constraints
(whether cultural or religious) of freedom
in a democratic state
It becomes clear that in South Africa
freedom needs to be balanced
against other values such as
intercultural harmony
This is because intercultural sensitivities

 The challenge facing the principle of

equality in South Africa has to do with the
idea of equal opportunity to land
In addition, there is a deep division between
the haves and have-nots groups in South
Africa
It is clear that there are still more poor than
rich, increased hardship for disabled people,
the degradation of informal settlements and
rural villages and the overall effects of
HIV/Aids on the poor
Finally, the most pervasive of threats to
both the principle of freedom and
equality in South Africa is crime as it
distorts the roles of freedom and equality and
disregard the rights of others

 HOME STUDY:
Look at the last
10 LOs for LU1

For our next

lecture

In addition,
complete
revision
exercises
Do not forget to
engage with
your additional
reading material
Access material from:
http://communicationscience6212.weebly.com

LU1
Learning
Objective

13

Critically discuss the role of ethics in

persuasion (Text book, pp.19-20)

 Ethics within persuasion has to do with the value

judgement of right and wrong or goodness and
badness
Society often teaches us what is right and what is
wrong (social expectations)
There are 2 broad theories of Ethics that we will need to
familiarise ourselves with:
1. Teleological theories
2. Deontological theories

1. Theological Theories
(p.20)
Is concerned with
consequences
Specifically, whether an
action is right or wrong
This depends on the
consequences associated
with the action
This type of thinking is
associated with pragmatic
and utilitarian tendencies
A persuasive example:
punishing a learner harshly
for failing a test which leads
to the student doing will in
the exam

2. Deontological Theories (p.20)

Deals with the duties of the
participants in the action
A persuasive example: persuasion
would be ethically wrong in a
Christian community if the
participants did not follow certain
guidelines such as the 10
Commandments

The process of persuasive

communication always
contains potential ethical
issues (Larson, 1992 cited in
de Wet, p.20):
1. Involves a persuader who
attempts to influence a
recipient(s) by forming,
sustaining or changing their
attitudes or behaviour
2. Concerns conscious choices
among objectives sought and
persuasive means used to
achieve the objectives
3. Necessarily involves a potential
judge such as the persuader or

The relationship between persuasion and

ethics (p.20):
1. Persuasion can be employed for ethical or
non-ethical ends
2. Persuasion will be employed by many types
of people some of which who might not
respect ethics
3. Ethical issues are often relative as it
provides several acceptable
answers/solutions

LU1
Learning
Objective

14

Explain some of the ways in which an

individual can resist persuasion, including
McGuires theory (Text book, p.22)

The recipient can ignore, rebut

or reject the argument
The recipient can also
intellectualise, supplant and
rationalise the information to
discover what he/she agrees with
or simply deny it
For McGuire (1961) we should be
inoculated against persuasive
attempts
This means that we should be
exposed to various arguments so
that we can judge them
according to our own values and
are, therefore, better equipped
to withstand persuasion
For example political persuasion

LU1
Learning
Objective

15

Discuss how social consciousness relates

to self-consciousness of persuasion (Text
book, pp.23-24)

To create a social consciousness of

persuasion persuasion must capture
peoples attention and awaken their
interest
Social consciousness of persuasion leads
to self-knowledge
Having established a social
consciousness of persuasion is the 1st
step
The next step involves the individual to
determine his/her place within
his/her circumstances
This includes the implications of
persuasion on his/her existence
3 key dimensions of social
consciousness need to be taken into
consideration: (1) debunking motif, (2)

1. Debunking motif: means to

question commonly accepted or popular
defined goals of human action. Here, a
person would attempt to see through
the communicative interactions of the
powerful or majority .
2. Motif of unrespectability: means
to question the word of the middle
class which at times is regarded as the
best view. Rather people should be
involved in a holistic evaluation.
3. Motif of relativising: with technological
advances and the growth of the mass media
people are able to participate in different
cultures. However, at the risk of cultural
imperialism. Through the motif of relativising
people will acknowledge that ideas and
identities are specific to social circumstances .

LU1
Learning
Objective

16

Discuss the Greek roots of persuasion and

rhetoric, including Platos and Aristotles
principles (Text book, pp.27-31)

Since the days of the Ancient Greeks people have been interested
in the uses and abuses of persuasive communication
The ancient Greeks called the study of persuasive communication
rhetoric
Rhetoric was invented by Corax of Syracuse in the 5 th century
Here, rhetoric was primarily viewed as an art of oral persuasion
used in public life
Because rhetoric was such a broad field it was divided into 3
subsections: (1) technical rhetoric, (2) Sophistic rhetoric

with civil questions and with respect

to the communication triptych
(communicator/speaker,
medium/message/speech and
recipient(s)/audience). The focus was
specifically on the message
2. Sophistic rhetoric: emphasised the
role of the communicator (rather
than the message or recipient).
Sophistic rhetoric was seen to
provide a clearer picture of the ideal
orator who would lead society
3. Philosophical rhetoric: was
developed by Socrates in reaction to
technical and Sophistic rhetoric. It
focuses on the systematic interaction
between communicator, message

Plato provides us with 5 rational

principles of rhetoric as an art
(p.28):
1. The persuader (rhetor) must be
knowledgeable about the subject on
which he/she is speaking
2. The persuader must define his subject at
the beginning of the speech
3. There must be good order in the speech
it must be arranged appropriately and be
complete
4. There must be a method of collection and
division in the speech
5. The persuader must know the nature of
the soul and types as well as the types
of speeches that are suitable for the
different types of souls

 Aristotle defines rhetoric as the ability to

observe in any given case the potential of
persuasion

Thus, persuasion is relevant to all subjects

(dimensions)
Aristotle identifies 4 specific uses of
rhetoric (p.31):
1. It makes us argue out both sides of a case
2. It is a means of defence
3. It will serve to instruct when there are no
scientific instructions
4. Through a proper knowledge and exercise of
rhetoric fraud and injustice will be prevented
Aristotle was specifically concerned with political rhetoric he
argues that the practice of political rhetoric engages motives,
principles, thoughts, arguments and sentiments in
communication

LU1
Learning
Objective

17

Explain the Aristotelian artistic proofs (Text

book, pp.32)

of credibility, trustworthiness and

e Aristotle artistic proofs (p.32) goodwill. A speakers reputation will
also influence his/her credibility.
(Ethical
Language, development of the
proof)
message, common sense and
1
sincerity are all seen to influence
credibility
.
2. Pathos: relates to emotion. It
includes appeals to the passions or
the will (thus psychological
appeals). Here the persuader will
assess the psychological state of
the audience and artistically
design his message to suit the
audience
3. Logos: appeals to the intellect or
3
2
to the rational side of humans. It
(Emotional
(Logical
. proof)
.proof)
relies on the audiences ability to

LU1
Learning
Objective

18

Illustrate the difference between a

syllogism and an enthymeme by way of an
example (Text book, pp.32-33)

Syllygosim is a logical argument

It has 3 propositions
2 premises and a conclusion
The conclusion follows from the 2
premises
For example: All philosophers are Greek
(premise 1). Aristotle is a philosopher
(premise 2). Therefore, Aristotle is Greek
For Aristotle the(conclusion).
most important rhetorical
tool for testing the logic of a speech is the
enthymeme
The enthymeme has 2 premises on which
the conclusion is based
The conclusion is explicit (obvious)
For example: All philosophers are Greek
(premise 1), therefore Aristotle is Greek
(premise 2 + conclusion) (it is assumed that
is common knowledge that Aristotle is Greek

LU1
Learning
Objective

19

Explain which aspect of speaking/rhetoric

is emphasised in the elocutionary
movement (Text book, pp.35-36)

Modern rhetoric in the West has been greatly

influenced by the elocutionary movement of the
18th and 19th centuries
This movement emphasises delivery as the
most important aspect of speaking
Major factors that gave rise to the elocutionary
movement were the desire to standardise the
spoken word
Specifically the need for acceptable speech and
the feeling that pleasing delivery was needed
for effective participation in rising democratic
political systems
To an elocutionist the way in which
something is said is more important than
what is said
Thus, no attention is given to (1) substance of
the message, (2) rational thought and (3) ethics

LU1
Learning
Objective

20

Apply relevant persuasive communication

theory covered in LU1 to the provided LU1
case study

Persuasion
Activity

 HOME STUDY:
LU2

For our next

lecture

In addition,
complete
revision
exercises
Do not forget to
engage with
your additional
reading
material
Access material from:
http://communicationscience6212.weebly.com