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Professor Ryan McBride

Persuasive Writing – ENLS 3650

May 6, 2024

FINAL PAPER

The debate world is fascinating and complex; it gives information in a valuable and exciting way, and it offers participants a chance to critically evaluate their beliefs and views, develop their concepts, make persuasive arguments, and stimulate interest in contentious and complicated subjects. As a debate coach, the paper discusses individual debating and coaching experiences from the perspective of virtue, rhetoric, and its importance, providing insights into what a good life comprises.

During one coaching session, the students discussed their values by doing the tasks instructed by the coaches. This draws on Nicomachean Ethics (Kontos, 2023), where Aristotle discusses virtue as a medium between extremes. Aristotle defined virtue as a condition of character that is concerned with decision-making. It is described as being in the middle about us, decided reasonably, and chosen as an intelligent individual would select. It means reacting appropriately and experiencing the appropriate emotions for the proper causes. A person who wants to demonstrate virtue makes the intentional decision. People must act kindly because they see that it is the correct thing to do; they do not become nice because other people are kind, careless, or by luck.

Consciousness and affirmation are necessary for virtue. Furthermore, virtue frequently sits in the middle of things since the proper response to any given situation is sometimes too little or too much; instead, virtue is an appropriate response to various individuals and situations.

Feelings have a connection to the virtues. For example, sentiments about social behaviour are

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linked to friendliness, fear is related to courage, and shame is linked to respect for others. If virtue is defined as lying in a mean, then virtue may involve the right quantity of sentiment expressed. The correct amount of emotion is sensible and highly considerate of the circumstances and needs of everyone. In addition to being an intentional attitude sitting in the middle, this virtue requires the correct motivation or goals. Bad behaviour is the result of acting out of hate or personal goals.

On the other hand, someone could decide to act with the best intentions but fail because of their evil intentions. A person of virtue behaves, is motivated by the appropriate reasons and purposes, and has an interior condition of virtue that dominates their behaviour. They also become guilty if they mistakenly or narrowly understand what is harmful and beneficial.

In Plato's Meno, we face the idea of learning virtue and a theory of recollection in his work. According to Plato, every human knows what is essential in the world through innate instinct, and philosophical analysis can bring it to light. This is also aligned with our coaching technique, where the participants think deeply and identify or develop what they already possess or currently possess.

Plato's Meno talks about the thought that knowledge is not acquired but instead the memorized one. As Plato contends, everyone has pre-built knowledge of essential truths and fundamentals, like justice and wisdom. This knowledge unconsciously resides inside us and can become available through philosophical investigation. One of the things we do in the coaching technique, where the participants think deeply and identify or develop what they already possess or currently possess. Via the process of re-measuring their concept of virtue through philosophical reconstruction, we assist

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them in re-establishing and growing their idea of goodness through Plato's concept of the innate knowledge of the good.

According to Socrates, the soul is the guardian of pleasure and pain. When it is seen in wisdom, the result is Happiness. Everything is terrible if the destination aimed is destructive.

Socrates, the main character in Plato's dialogues, points out the necessity of reasoning or wisdom to inform human actions. In Meno, Socrates believes that having Socrates argues that anything done without qualities of wisdom is dangerous (Stefou, 2018). According to him, the highest degree of Happiness a man can reach senses when the soul, under the guidance of the wise, conquers and overcomes virtuous actions. Hence, our coaching philosophy encourages this by emphasizing training and virtues building in combination. One of our primary objectives is the infusion of the values of the wise into our participants, which will help lead them to carry out actions aligned with morality, resulting in authentic joy and contentment.

However, this conversation between Socrates and Meno shows the main arguments about virtue. Should I say intelligence is a gift at any time? Virtue, however, is a cleaner that heals a man's soul. In this scenario, knowledge may be the source of virtue or wholly or partially equivalent to virtue. The debate between Socrates and Meno shows that understanding is critical as it develops toward moral aptitude. Intelligence or smartness might be a suitable way to get to the goal. However, the one that Socrates admires opens good outcomes and makes the soul happy. This means that virtue may be the same with, or if not, include, some knowledge of the sense of good. In our coaching sessions, we teach the practical application of this knowledge and wish to help our clients get the necessary knowledge and understanding of a virtuous life.

In Plato's theory of anamnesis, the idea is that "everyone has a natural ability to remember the piece of knowledge that was already in their soul" (Hackforth, 1972). The central

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argument of Plato's theory is that people can only know what they have inside their

consciousness and not outside it. The Platonic perspective holds that a person's soul is immortal

and is already conscious of this truth even before the body has been born. Plato's doctrinal

recollection belief presupposes that people already have some natural knowledge in their souls

that they gradually remind themselves of during philosophical investigations. Such realization is

inborn and is not acquired through some external sources; instead, one lives it. Plato argues that

the soul is eternal and, thus, should have known the truths before coming into being and living in

our bodies. This resonates with what our coaching practices are all about, that is, introspection

and character discovery. Plato advocates the mastery of internal wisdom, which enables

individuals to cultivate morality from within, which aligns perfectly with his teachings.

Education is when our inner nature comes out to share those feelings that belong to the

world of ideas. When we are born, we mostly lose this knowledge and gradually retrieve and

recover it through learning. One example is virtue, which is an innate knowledge, an experienced

part of the human soul. We can regain that knowledge and even the virtue itself through

corresponding self-interrogations and philosophical study. Therefore, thinking about AI ethics

enables us to turn to a curriculum, learn definitions of virtue, and see their application in real life.

Through this process, I discovered the wealth of the education system, which is used for people's

development as well as instilling good virtues in us. The responses encouraged the relevance of

philosophical debates and moral talks since they covered ethical and critical thinking needs.

Plato says that such people could have their motives, so they might use rhetorical devices

to mislead the audience, which is very dangerous. He posits that those seeking to give people a

true mirror should confront them directly without deception. Aristotle considers rhetoric a

necessity, even for those who aim to speak the best truth to influence the crowd on different

world of ideas. When we are born, we mostly lose this knowledge and gradually retrieve and

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matters during public speaking. He claims that being in front of a considerable audience, not just the speaker, can become a problem. Despite this, he admits that his unconventional views might prevent knowledge acquisition, as students will not learn from authority and instead should trust their teachers. Despite the uncertainties arising from recipients' intentions, we can take them into account. A rhetorical argument appeals to the audience's beliefs rather than answering how knowledge or information is acquired and explored.

People might wonder if the subjects of the most frequent public speeches can build the type of understanding that lasts. Grasp the courtroom analogy, where the judges decide if someone is guilty and the crime of seriousness. In the same way, discussions in political speeches or debates tend to focus on wall building or undertaking military action. These issues demand precision. Many topics in public speeches are divisive and uncertain, as they give rise to uncertainty. This is where rhetoric plays an essential role, especially in controversies that cannot be resolved based on incontestable facts or hard facts but rather on shared beliefs, probabilities, and uncertainties.

Making assembly and jury members change their minds on evidence is sometimes based on wheedling rather than understanding. Although it is essential for some to be naturally persuasive, rhetoric offers a sequenced process for discovering argumentative techniques related to any subject. Aristotle makes the case that a thing superior to physical force is the ability to reason, and often, words and reason convince more people than physical force. Hence, knowing about rhetoric helps to keep oneself safe. Moreover, it offers a critical function in law and politics, particularly in seeking the truth and justice.

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In conclusion, in the debating world where people can exchange and collide ideas, people can never fail to realize that pursuing a happy and meaningful life is nothing else except a life that can last forever according to virtue. People are advised to routinely engage in philosophical inquiries to reinforce their good qualities. Living life as if it is deprived of virtue or one that is obsessed with wealth acquisition or physical comfort is wasted. People should use rhetoric to introduce virtues like honesty, truthful speaking, and justice into society.

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WORKS CITED

Hackforth, R. (Ed.). (1972). Plato: Phaedrus (No. 119). Cambridge University Press.

Kontos, P. (2023). Introduction to Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. Springer Nature.

Stefou, K. (2018). Socrates on the Life of Philosophical Inquiry: A companion to Plato's Laches.

Springer.