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Kayla Drew
Mr. Salow
English 11
21 November 2016
Research Proposal
Free higher education is the system of higher education, meaning programs past high school and
usually with the connotation of college, being paid for due to charity or taxation. There is an evergoing
argument between the two, the pro side that believes free higher education is the best route to take and the
con side that believes free higher education is worst for education. My purpose is the analyze the manner
in which these two sides attempt to persuade possible followers. The persuasion can be done through a
wide manner of interactions, whether it be overwhelming pathos, confident ethos, or factual logos.
Pathos can be found in impassioned propaganda meant to stir the emotions of the crowd. Despite
being logically weaker, it tends to be used to propel the masses and often quite successfully. For the
element of ethos, it is credibility at hand, found in statements from professionals. Being that they are
professionals, it is easy to be lead into their mindset, but the term expert can be used liberally. In terms
of logos, it is found in facts and statistics, and even these can be manipulated. They can be taken out of
context and twisted to fit the whims of an argument. Since they are deemed facts, the audience might not
take the time to actually look into them.
It is important to analyze this argument to better understand how manipulation works and how it
is possible to be manipulated, not to mention the styles typically employed. In turn, picking out
manipulation allows an argument to be better understood as it shifts a probing light that shines right
through the patches of various distortion and bias. At the roots of an argument, it is easier to determine its
worth. Discerning the fallacies and faults allows for better free thinking.
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42.1999-2000 (1999): 36. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.

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Nov. 2016.