Question

And so they did begin; they founded colleges, and up from the colleges shot normal schools, and out from the normal schools went teachers, and around the normal teachers clustered other teachers to teach the public schools; the college trained in Greek and Latin and mathematics, 2,000 men; and these men trained full 50,000 others in morals and manners, and they in turn taught thrift and the alphabet to nine millions of men, who to-day hold $300,000,000 of property.

Which rhetorical appeal is present in this sentence?

A) Logos
B) Ethos
C) Pathos
D) Alliteration

Answer 1

The rhetorical appeal present in the sentence is Logos, as it logically explains the relationship between the education system and societal wealth, using factual data to persuade the reader. The correct answer is A.

Step-by-step explanation:

The rhetorical appeal present in the sentence is Logos, which is the appeal to logic and reason. The sentence provides a sequential and quantitative explanation of how education has expanded, mentioning the establishment of colleges and normal schools, the dissemination of teachers, and the subsequent instruction in various subjects and morals, impacting a large number of individuals and resulting in a significant accumulation of property.

The focus on facts, figures, and the logical progression from education to societal wealth is indicative of Logos. The sentence does not focus on establishing credibility (Ethos) or emotional appeal (Pathos), nor does it employ alliteration, which is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. The emphasis on the logical structure and data suggests that the intent is to persuade through rational argumentation, aligning with the Greek understanding of rhetoric and the importance of persuasive language highlighted by the Sophists for success in various fields.