Notes on deliberative discourse
Deliberative discourse is speech that focuses on what to choose or avoid. It seeks to persuade (exhort/dissuade) an audience to do or not do something by convincing them that what we want them to do is either good (worthy) or advantageous (useful/expedient).
The worthy is what is good in and of itself, worthy of being chosen for its own sake. The advantageous is what is good for us; it is expedient to choose because of what it can do for us or for what use we can make of it.
Think about urging someone to study Latin. We may argue that Latin study is good for its own sake, that it is a worthy pursuit even though it cannot be put to any practical use. We also might choose to argue that the study of Latin can produce practical results, such as a better understanding of grammar, a richer vocabulary, higher test results, and an ability to think logically.
Choosing to focus on either the worthy or the advantageous depends on the nature of the subject and the audience. If we are urging the study of art, we might choose to emphasize the good; funding the fire department would appeal to the expedient.
Aristotle, as we saw, said the end that determines what people choose is happiness and its constituents. Most people, Cicero wrote, are moved by the advantageous.
The worthy is what is good in and of itself, worthy of being chosen for its own sake. The advantageous is what is good for us; it is expedient to choose because of what it can do for us or for what use we can make of it.
Think about urging someone to study Latin. We may argue that Latin study is good for its own sake, that it is a worthy pursuit even though it cannot be put to any practical use. We also might choose to argue that the study of Latin can produce practical results, such as a better understanding of grammar, a richer vocabulary, higher test results, and an ability to think logically.
Choosing to focus on either the worthy or the advantageous depends on the nature of the subject and the audience. If we are urging the study of art, we might choose to emphasize the good; funding the fire department would appeal to the expedient.
Aristotle, as we saw, said the end that determines what people choose is happiness and its constituents. Most people, Cicero wrote, are moved by the advantageous.