Strawman (Semester 2 | Week 3)

This week of 11 Ap English brought with it the study of a broad range of rhetorical fallacies and how it is used in the manipulation of language. It was almost an enjoyable experience to discover just how many of these fallacies are consistently applied in today's media and common conversations (especially arguments). The "Strawman" was a recognizable name, and easily became one of my favorites to learn about and search for as the week progressed. This is because I have noticed it is used as a sneaky and strangely effective weapon against opposing statements. 

For those who may not know: a strawman is a rhetorical fallacy used to divert attention away from a point/claim by intentionally switching the topic of conversation to a related, but misrepresented proposition. At first, I thought that this technique was only seen in unprofessional arguments, politics, or propaganda. 

For example, in the recent election, a point was made that Hillary Clinton desired the abolishment of the second amendment, due to the fact that she supported numerous gun safety measures. This flawed way of thinking negatively affected the audience's perspective of Clinton's support for gun safety in a stealthy and illogical manner.  

However, now that I have analyzed multiple examples of this, I realize that the strawman is a common occurrence for nearly all argumentative forms of communication. This fallacy has occurred in the form of both professional articles and misunderstandings (ex. the medias many writings of Pewdiepie's recent and controversial joke). 

The popularity of the strawman makes me wonder if it should actually be viewed in a positive and accepting manner. Many times, a strong claim is undeniable and does not exist with a justified counter. In turn, it appears that people react with methods that either twist the truth, avoid the truth, or redirect the conversation. This method is extremely effective when implemented correctly, and perhaps the most clever of the rhetorical fallacies for just how imperceptible and effective it can be. 

It is yet another example of how clever the world's manipulation of language can be, and adds on to my growing list of reasons to love this section of the 11 Ap English curriculum.