Example of Critical Thinking
Bob Colomb
[email protected]
17 February 2017
Critical thinking is used to understand attempts to
persuade us, in advertising, politics and many other
contexts.
Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. The people who want to
persuade us study how to do it. Understanding their
methods helps us to evaluate the persuasive text.
We will take Churchill’s “Fight them on the beaches”
speech, given in Parliament 4 June 1940, immediately
after the completion of the Dunkirk evacuation, and less
than three weeks before the French surrender, as an
example of a persuasive text.
What we will look at is an abridged version broadcast by
Churchill in 1949.
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We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the
landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the
streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!
Churchill 1940
What is Churchill trying to persuade his audience to do?
What does he think their state of mind to be?
What effect does he want to have on their state of mind?
Does he think the course of action he proposes is likely to
lead to victory?
If so, what evidence does he present? If not, why does he
think his audience would be persuaded to do what he
asks?
Does he appeal to reason? To emotion?
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Text of the excerpt
When Napoleon lay at Boulogne for a year with his flatbottomed boats and his Grand Army, he was told by
someone. "There are bitter weeds in England." There are
certainly a great many more of them since the British
Expeditionary Force returned.
So, I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if
nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are
made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves
once more able to defend our Island home, to ride out the
storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if
necessary for years, if necessary alone.
At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is
the resolve of His Majesty’s Government-every man of
them. That is the will of Parliament and the nation.
The British Empire and the French Republic, linked
together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the
death their native soil, aiding each other like good
comrades to the utmost of their strength.
We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France,
We shall fight on the seas and oceans,
We shall fight with growing confidence and growing
strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever
the cost may be,
We shall fight on the beaches,
We shall fight on the landing grounds,
We shall fight in the fields and in the streets,
We shall fight in the hills;
We shall never surrender, and if, which I do not for a
moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were
subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas,
armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on
the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with
all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the
liberation of the old.”
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Deductive Reasoning
In practical persuasion, formal reasoning is rarely
used. Instead, the speaker presents his case as an
instance of an often unstated proverb or maxim
assumed to be familiar to the audience.
When Napoleon lay at Boulogne for a year with his flatbottomed boats and his Grand Army, he was told by
someone. "There are bitter weeds in England." There are
certainly a great many more of them since the British
Expeditionary Force returned.
If something is an obstacle, then more of something is
a bigger obstacle. The British army is an obstacle for
an invader. The army is bigger than it has ever been.
So, I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if
nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are
made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves
once more able to defend our Island home, to ride out the
storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if
necessary for years, if necessary alone.
If all the conditions for an enterprise are in place, then
the enterprise will be successful. The conditions for
this enterprise are …, so this enterprise will succeed.
At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of His Majesty’s
Government-every man of them. That is the will of Parliament and the nation.
The British Empire and the French Republic, linked together in their cause and in their need,
will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost
of their strength.
We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France,
…
We shall fight in the hills;
We shall never surrender, and if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large
part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded
by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World,
with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.”
Does his reasoning seem sound?
Is it convincing?
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Inductive Reasoning
When Napoleon lay at Boulogne for a year with his flat-bottomed boats and his Grand Army,
he was told by someone. "There are bitter weeds in England." There are certainly a great
many more of them since the British Expeditionary Force returned.
So, I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the
best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once more
able to defend our Island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of
tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone.
At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of His Majesty’s
Government-every man of them. That is the will of Parliament and the nation.
The conclusion
The British Empire and the French Republic, linked
together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the
death their native soil, aiding each other like good
comrades to the utmost of their strength.
Followed by eleven examples, which are meant to
justify the conclusion
We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France,
We shall fight on the seas and oceans,
We shall fight with growing confidence and growing
strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever
the cost may be,
We shall fight on the beaches,
We shall fight on the landing grounds,
We shall fight in the fields and in the streets,
We shall fight in the hills;
We shall never surrender, and if, which I do not for a
moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were
subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas,
armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on
the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with
all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the
liberation of the old.”
Do these examples work?
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It is instructive to compare Churchill’s speech with Donald
Trump’s inaugural address. Both outline a threat to the
country, and both outline what they will do about it. Both
use inductive reasoning to argue for their main point.
Differences are:
• Churchill’s speech is to Parliament; Trump’s is to the
American people.
• In Churchill’s speech the nature and source of the threat
is assumed to be so obvious to the audience, that it is
not explicitly stated. In Trump’s speech the nature of the
threat is established by an inductive argument based on
11 examples, the same as Churchill.
1.
2.
Mothersandchildrentrappedinpovertyinourinnercities,
rustedoutfactoriesscatteredliketombstonesacrossthe
landscapeofournation,
3. aneducationsystemflushwithcash,butwhichleavesouryoung
andbeautifulstudentsdeprivedofallknowledgeand
4. thecrimeandthegangsandthedrugsthathavestolentoomany
livesandrobbedourcountryofsomuchunrealizedpotential.…
5. Formanydecades,we'veenrichedforeignindustryattheexpense
ofAmericanindustry,
6. subsidizedthearmiesofothercountries,whileallowingforthe
verysaddepletionofourmilitary.
7. We'vedefendedothernations'borders,whilerefusingtodefend
ourown,and
8. spenttrillionsandtrillionsofdollarsoverseas,whileAmerica's
infrastructurehasfallenintodisrepairanddecay.
9. We'vemadeothercountriesrichwhilethewealth,strengthand
confidenceofourcountryhasdissipatedoverthehorizon.
10. Onebyone,thefactoriesshutteredandleftourshoreswithnot
evenathoughtaboutthemillionsandmillionsofAmerican
workersthatwereleftbehind.
11. Thewealthofourmiddleclasshasbeenrippedfromtheirhomes
andthenredistributedallacrosstheworld.
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In Churchill’s speech the main argument is to detail what
is to be done about the clear and present threat. In
Trump’s, what is to be done is a series of “I’m going to fix
it” statements:
1. Everydecisionontrade,ontaxes,onimmigration,on
foreignaffairswillbemadetobenefitAmericanworkers
andAmericanfamilies.
2. Wemustprotectourbordersfromtheravagesofother
countriesmakingourproducts,stealingourcompanies
anddestroyingourjobs.
3. Wewillbringbackourjobs.
4. Wewillbringbackourborders.
5. Wewillbringbackourwealth.
6. Andwewillbringbackourdreams.
7. Wewillbuildnewroadsandhighwaysandbridgesand
airportsandtunnelsandrailwaysallacrossour
wonderfulnation.
8. Wewillgetourpeopleoffofwelfareandbacktowork
rebuildingourcountrywithAmericanhandsand
Americanlabor.
9. Wewillfollowtwosimplerules:buyAmericanandhire
American.
10. Wewillseekfriendshipandgoodwillwiththenationsof
theworld,butwedosowiththeunderstandingthatitis
therightofallnationstoputtheirowninterestsfirst.
11. Wewillreinforceoldalliancesandformnewonesand
unitethecivilizedworldagainstradicalIslamicterrorism,
whichwewilleradicatecompletelyfromthefaceofthe
earth.
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Some historical commentary
https://history.blog.gov.uk/2013/12/02/we-shall-fight-onthe-beaches-three-things-you-never-knew-aboutchurchills-most-famous-speech/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkTw3_PmKtc&lc=BAT
rsAGuRNpUUBaLF2Wdkdl_oO7M6AxZZxeWF3Y6s-8
http://theconversation.com/trumps-inaugural-speech-is-itmorning-or-mourning-in-america-71656
http://www.smh.com.au/world/us-election/us-presidentdonald-trumps-inauguration-speech-transcript-20170120gtvwes.html
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