The Ethical Frame:  Understanding the Relationship of Discourse and the Ethical Basis of an Argument

For teachers who teach argumentation. In addition to effective argument processes (claim, evidence, warrant; logos, ethos, pathos), the way a speaker frames an argument can determine a speaker's success with an audience. This frame is built with a speaker's discourse--deliberate and purposeful language choices of a speaker to present an argument. Effective deployment of a particular discourse can redraw the moral and ethical lines that make an argument appealing. This session will provide teachers with a vocabulary and knowledge base for teaching the concept of discourse and the way a speaker's choice of discourse frames an argument.