Monday, July 9, 2012

Prof. McCloskey on Persuasion as Communication


Professor McCloskey focused her lecture on her theory of persuasion as communication and language. She explained her theory of persuasion through an economist’s standpoint as well as scientific and communicative. She explained how one would think scientific theories and economist theories would be quantitative, but how they both root back to persuasion. Throughout her lecture, she thoroughly explained her theory of persuasion in everyday life and educationally. Before her lecture I did not think of persuasion in these ways and was glad to have received a new outlook on this topic.

At the beginning of her lecture, McCloskey refers to rhetoric as we learned back in the beginning of the semester when learning about the processes of communication and language behaviors. Rhetoric, being the art of language, and the use of the way we use language directly compliments McCloskey’s views. When using persuasion, it is the way and effectiveness of your rhetoric that will either persuade or dismiss your theories or thoughts. McCloskey refers to persuasion in her own words as “sweet talk”. I really took thought to McCloskey’s theory of persuasion being a great deal of communication and will only continue to grow. For example, if a person wants to persuade someone else to choose to enroll at their own current university, the conversation could go two ways. The person could use force or obedience as McCloskey says, and use force on them to enroll. Or, the person could use persuasion, and express the mutually beneficial factors from enrolling, and better the chances of the intended outcome.  As McCloskey went on to explain her theories of persuasion regarding the way we learn and in regards to science communication and the economy, I found myself agreeing with her, and taking on a new thought process of how much persuasion really is used every day and in almost ass instances. I challenge myself to see how many conversations I have per day when I use persuasion over obedience, and the effect my actual rhetoric influences the outcome.

A point made by McCloskey that really sticks with me after her lecture is her theory of science and technology being based on persuasion.  McCloskey explained that scientifically, when thinking back to the frontiers of science, what we know to be true was once just a thought or theory in a person’s mind. It wasn’t until they used rhetoric to explain themselves and persuade others into their theory being logical. Managerially, McCloskey pointed out that you cannot force someone to work hard and be a good employee, but you must persuade them as to why they should be efficient, and explain why it will be mutually beneficial. This makes a lot of sense to me, and I believe should be routinely used as an element of society.

In my own life, I believe to use persuasion daily to receive the positive outcome I wish for. It one main instance, I can think back to persuasion being the main reason I was able to live on my own in the city. After I had finished my freshman year at UIC, I put together a power point as to why I should be allowed to move out of the dorms and into an apartment. I used knowledgeable information and data that I knew would impress my parents. Once I stated in an educational manner how much money they would save and how this apartment would affect them positively, they gave in and I have been living dorm free for almost three years now. Persuasion played a great deal for me in this situation, and until McCloskey explained and made me re-access persuasion in everyday life, I wouldn’t have understood this system and how mutually beneficial it could be.

Overall, I agree with McCloskey in everyone benefiting from being a skilled persuader, and enjoyed hearing her theories of persuasion being a great deal (and growing) of communication. 

Lauren Fischer

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