What She Said by Monica Lunin

Author:Monica Lunin [Lunin, Monica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780730399841
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2022-04-04T00:00:00+00:00

6

Arguing a position

To be convincing, an argument must not only present a rational position with supporting evidence, but also consider and concede or refute any potential counterarguments.

The synthesised position must then be explained in such a way as to persuade the rational, critical evaluator.

The presentation of a rational argument often involves situations of some formality. In the speeches featured in this chapter, the situations include the US Supreme Court, a congressional committee, a joint session of the US Congress and a plea in defence of birth control delivered at a conference in New York. The benefit of a formal environment is that the audience is forewarned; they should have a general idea of what is happening and their role in evaluating your argument. Because they already have some level of awareness, you can start slightly ahead of where you might with a general audience.

The challenge of a more formal speaking environment is that your audience is primed to critically evaluate your presentation. This is not to suggest that they will necessarily be negative, but they will be analytical. They are likely to be listening more closely than they might in another context, so you need to be tighter with your case.

In her argument to the US Supreme Court, before she was appointed to the bench herself, Ruth Bader Ginsburg presented a compelling case in the matter of Frontiero v. Richardson. RBG, as she came to be known, reminds us of the mechanics of a good case — lay out the requirements of what must be proved, and then prove it. You don't need to get caught up in extemporaneous and distracting matters that might make the case more of a challenge than it needs to be.

In a blistering oratorical masterpiece, Barbara Jordan shows us how gravitas and logic can combine for one of the most compelling arguments in history. Her presentation of the Articles of Impeachment during the Watergate scandal is a true masterclass on how to mount a compelling case.

The use of classical rhetorical technique and influence tactics can be seen at work beneath the surface of Margaret Sanger's speech on the morality of birth control from 1921. A practised speaker, having defended her position many times over, she knows where the counterarguments are and how to head them off at the pass.

And when Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel addressed the US Congress and Senate members in 2009, she cleverly signalled the virtues of American democracy and culture as the foundation of her argument.

These successful speeches show something that is often taken for granted: the ‘human factor’ is very much at the heart of their success. Though logic may be the top note, persuasion by means of emotional resonance is the not-so-secret ingredient.

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