The Tyranny of Public Discourse: Abraham Lincoln's Six-Element Antidote for Meaningful and Persuasive Writing

by David Hirsch, Dan Van Haften

Overview

“The ultimate teacher of fact-based, reasoned rhetoric . . . A nice dose of American history makes learning the groundbreaking technique fun.” —Nerida F. Ellerton and McKenzie A. Clements, authors on writings of Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln
 
Are you satisfied with the current state of public discourse? The almost unanimous response from people across the nation is a loud and emphatic “No!”
 
The reply is always the same regardless of politics. Today’s public discourse typically starts with a “conclusion” and goes downhill from there. If there are talking heads, argument begins instantly and typically runs in circles. This is a dangerous path for a society that depends upon civility and virtue to survive. The Tyranny of Public Discourse addresses what is one of the most important issues of our time.
 
This book can teach anyone how to use logic and reason to create persuasive writing. A byproduct of this is the civility that will ensue with an elevated public discourse. The Tyranny of Public Discourse establishes the six elements of a proposition as a verbal form of the scientific method—something Abraham Lincoln knew and used routinely. His logic and reason are so well known that he is quoted today more than 150 years after his death. Learning the six elements and how to use them to discuss any topic at any time is not only fascinating, but fairly easy to understand and implement. This book sets it all out, step-by-step and color coded, from beginning to end.
 
The Tyranny of Public Discourse, complete with 21 diagrams on how to structure your logic, is the book you have been waiting for. The time is short, and the hour is now.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781940669922
Publisher:	Savas Beatie
Publication date:	11/12/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

David Hirsch is an attorney in Des Moines, Iowa. He has a BS from Michigan State University and a JD, with distinction, from the University of Iowa College of Law. He clerked for an Iowa Supreme Court Justice from 1973 to 1974. In addition to a full‑time law practice, Hirsch was a columnist for the American Bar Association Journal for over a decade. Hirsch is admitted to practice in all Iowa state trial and appellate courts, plus: United States Supreme Court, United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, United States Court of Claims, United States Tax Court.
Dan Van Haften lives in Batavia, Illinois. He has BS, with high honor, and MS degrees in mathematics from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. He began his career at AT&T Bell Laboratories in 1970, and retired from Alcatel-Lucent in 2007. He worked on telecommunication software development and system testing.

Table of Contents

Preface v

Acknowledgments vi

Conventions vi

Introduction 1

1 Enunciation: Why Are We Here? 12

2 Exposition: What Needs to be Investigated? 18

3 Specification: The Hypothesis 26

4 Construction: Array the Evidence 35

5 Proof: Confirm the Proposed Inference 45

6 Conclusion: What Was Demonstrated? 57

7 The Method is the Message 73

8 What's in a Name? 81

9 Letter to Ulysses S. Grant 84

10 Lincoln's Farewell Address 91

11 The Investigation 97

12 Writing 103

13 General Principles 107

14 Credibility is Everything 111

15 Collaborate 115

16 Freedom 117

17 Demarcation Exercises 133

18 Hints for Demarcation Exercises 154

19 Suggested Demarcations 157

20 A Language of Science for Human Issues 173

Endnotes 176

Bibliography 182

Index 185

Introduction. 1 The Six Elements of a Proposition 5

Introduction. 2 The Six Elements of a Proposition: Proclus Definitions 5

1.1 Proclus Definitions-One Element 13

1.2 Gettysburg Address-One Element 14

2.1 Proclus Definitions-Two Elements 19

2.2 Gettysburg Address-Two Elements 20

3.1 Proclus Definitions-Three Elements 27

3.2 Gettysburg Address-Three Elements 28

4.1 Proclus Definitions-Four Elements 36

4.2 Gettysburg Address-Four Elements 37

5.1 Proclus Definitions-Five Elements 46

5.2 Gettysburg Address-Five Elements 47

6.1 Proclus Definitions-Six Elements 58

6.2 Gettysburg Address-Six Elements 60

6.3 Euclid Book I, Proposition 1 71

7.1 The Six Elements of a Proposition: Proclus Definitions 76

9.1 Abraham Lincoln to General Ulysses S. Grant, January 19, 1865 89

10.1 Abraham Lincoln's Farewell Address: Springfield, Illinois 95

Editorial Reviews

"'The Tyranny of Public Discourse' can teach anyone how to use logic and reason to create persuasive writing."

Midwest Book Review

"This compact book goes the extra mile, printed in color on glossy paper for added emphasis, to show how the six elements form triangles of persuasive writing. Written in simple, easy-to-grasp fashion, this book is recommended for anyone in the legal profession, political arena, or marketing business. Whether you are a writer, student, or a professional trying to get your point across, you will find this little treasure indispensable."

San Francisco Book Review