In the words attributed to Socrates in Plato’s Apology,...

In the words attributed to Socrates in Plato’s Apology, â€Å"The unexamined life is not worth living.† David Foster Wallace expands on this idea in his â€Å"Kenyon College 2005 Commencement Address,† pointing out the importance of awareness and escaping the natural, default-setting of an unconscious, self-centred life. While commencement speeches are typically epideictic—celebratory—in nature, Wallace takes a deliberative rhetorical stance. According to Fahnestock, deliberative discourse is used in order to persuade in â€Å"the best possible course of future action† (1998, p. 333). Abizadeh argues that character and emotion are â€Å"constitutive features of deliberation,† and that deliberation cannot be â€Å"reduced to logical demonstration† (2002, p.†¦show more content†¦Connors (1979) argues the need for a lower complexity of the logical appeals in speech, stating that appeals â€Å"must be presented slowly a nd reiteratively† (1979, p. 288). Wallace uses multiple adjectives to describe an item or idea, and the scenarios in his examples are described extensively, which makes them more pertinent and comprehendible. For example, â€Å"the store is hideously, fluorescently lit, and infused with soul-killing Muzak or corporate pop.† (Wallace, 2008, para. 6) In his 1945 study, Ray Ehrensberger states an orator must â€Å"First tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em; then tell ‘em; finally, tell ‘em what you told ‘em† (p. 102). Wallace opens with an ironic analogy which, in itself, contains the â€Å"kernel of truth† he is trying to communicate. A young fish asks another â€Å"What the hell is water?† (Wallace, 2008, para. 1) This scenario is chosen purposefully because it is simple and relatable, which enables Wallace to present a new perspective on a familiar concept. Wallace later explains that point of the story is that â€Å"the most obvious, important realities are often the ones that are the hardest to see and talk about,† (Wallace, 2008, para. 2) and repeats this thesis throughout the speech. In the last few lines of his speech, Wallace again states his message in simple terms of the importance of awareness. He reminds the audience that awareness of what is â€Å"s o hidden in plain sight around us† (Wallace, 2008, para. 11) is essential and that weShow MoreRelatedSocrates : The Suicide Of Socrates1405 Words   |  6 PagesSocrates was born in 470 BCE in Athens, Greece. His father was Sophroniscus, a sculptor and stone mason from Athens and his mother was a midwife by the name of Phaenarete (30 Interesting Socrates Facts 2014). Socrates original profession was masonry and sculpting, before becoming a philosopher. On a day in 399 BC, Socrates ( roughly 71 years at the time) went to trial.Now why would anyone want to send an old man to court? 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