Coddling Of The American Mind Rhetorical Analysis

The authors of “Coddling of the American Mind,” Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, use ethos, logos, and pathos convey their negative stance regarding trigger warnings and the effect they on education. Lukianoff and Haidt’s use of rhetorical appeal throughout the article adds to the author’s credibility and the strength of the argument against increasing the use of trigger warnings in school material. The authors, Lukianoff and Haidt, rely heavily upon the use of logos, such as relations between conflicts surrounding trigger warnings and other historical conflicts impacting student ethics. Examples of the use of these logical appeals are the relation between the Columbine Massacre and the younger generations ideology. The author goes on to mention other societal turning points such

However, “The Coddling of the American Mind” is not an informative piece, as it is filled with opinions and methods of emotional persuasion towards the author's belief upon the topic. The rhetorical device pathos is abundant towards the end of the article where the author is dependent on negative connotations and emotionally captivating statements in order to convey the idea that students should be aware of the potential to be offended and accepting of it as a part of life. Lukianoff and Haidt's negative vocabulary can be seen through words such as “Blaming” and “catastrophizing”; these words are synonymous with overreacting or the inability to accept and negatively impact the opposing side's argument about student anxiety. Negative connotative vocabulary alongside statements directed towards the reader's emotions such as, “In June, a professor protecting himself with a pseudonym wrote an essay for Vox describing how gingerly he now has to teach. “I’m a Liberal Professor, and My Liberal Students Terrify Me,” the headline