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Ethics-based approach to leadership
Ethics and Leadership Essay
Ethics-based approach to leadership
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Have you ever heard someone say, “Ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country”? This famous quote was given by the newly elected President of the United States on January 20th in 1961. In this speech Kennedy gave the speech during a significant historical period, which assists him in using all three parts of the modes of persuasion-- the logical appeal, the ethical appeal, and the emotional appeal.
John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address speech was given during the middle of the Cold War. The Cold War left the civilians in fear for a nuclear war with the USSR. All the people wanted was a president to provide them security. The previous president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, influenced their fear by approving an assault
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During the elections, they chose who they thought would provide that security- John F. Kennedy. Meanwhile, the Space Race is striving for getting a human into space. The USSR has already gotten the first artificial satellite although it didn’t last, a dog, and a permanent artificial satellite. America, however, is behind in the “race.” The American space program has only a satellite into space, and hasn’t managed a living being. America also managed to get two new states, Alaska and Hawaii, a few years prior to the election of John F. Kennedy. Unbeknown to them, the USSR was experiencing problems with keeping the educated in East Berlin, and were formulating a plan to keep them in East Berlin. The Logical appeal of John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address is substantial. In multiple points of the speech he uses comparisons to say five main commodities: to unite the country after the split of parties from election, his generation isn’t that of World WarⅡ, to call the Americans ready for war, forced the other countries to choose an ally, and individually address the USSR to make them aware of the potential problems that will arise. At the very beginning of the speech Kennedy states “...we observe today not as …show more content…
He shares his beliefs and then later backs them up with logic and strove for safety from war, poverty, and communism. He starts off with his ethical appeal with, “To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do-- for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder,” which s Kennedy sharing his belief that as a united country, they can defeat any adversary that comes their way, but being split, they are limited to only being tyrannical country that can’t face the strong, so they turn to the weak to conquer. He also welcomes the news states and informs them of the American legacy of military, politics, and freedom-- to fill them in to their obligations, laws, and liberties, “To those new States whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we pledge our word that one form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their new freedom-- and to remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power b the back of the tiger ended up inside.” John used the “to those” phrases as forms of alliteration. Another form of alliteration was “Let both
It was on January 20th 1961 that John F Kennedy gave his inaugural address after winning the presidential race and beating future president Richard Nixon. President, John F Kennedy in his speech, The Inaugural Address, he describes his plans for growth in America. Kennedy’s purpose is unite the people of the U.S. and bring everyone together for the good cause of promoting growth in the country. He creates a very inspirational tone in order to establish a connection with the U.S. people. In his speech Kennedy really used several rhetorical strategies of persuasion to motivate and persuade the U.S. people that they made the right choice in choosing him.
On January 20th, 1961, John Fitzgerald Kennedy gave a speech to the nation, which encompassed a new vision for the country with a new generation. That speech was JFK’s Inaugural Address. As the new 35th president, JFK was the youngest president to enter the oval office at the age of forty-three ("Inaugural Address."). The nation was still in in the process of healing after World War II. In the eyes of the masses, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a breath of fresh air for the American People. He was a youthful president, with his youthful image; he was able to rally the younger generations with a progressive vision. This speech was a message to the nation in which JFK outlines a new direction for The United States by securing it’s freedom, being a competitive nation in all aspects, and rallying the citizens behind the government.
“If a free society can not help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”(Kennedy, 1961) Statements such as these demonstrate how Kennedy appealed to the citizens by simply using reason. The use of logos in his speech was minimal compared to the use of pathos, and ethos.
Kennedy was elected president in the year of 1961. Which was during the time that the Cold War was in full swing. The Cold War being the tension filled era between the superpowers in the east and the superpowers in the west. Contrary to the other two presidents, JFK was not speaking to the American public at the time of the war 's conclusion but right near the middle of the 40 plus year issue. Regardless he was assuring the public. He stated, “...that the torch has been passed to a new generation of American-”. That optimism cannot be matched. Even at the darkest of times could he stand up there, the president of the United States, and tell the young people of America that their time is now. Not only that but he attempts to inspire Americans when he says “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”, which was definitely a knock at the Russians. JFK overall had this persona about him. This was the speech where muttered that historic and uplifting quote, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.” His message of peace and coexisting really stand the test of
Evident throughout his entire address, Kennedy employs a cogent pathos appeal to keep his audience intrigued. This can be demonstrated when Kennedy initially proclaims: “Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans…” who he urges to be “unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of…human rights to which this nation has always been committed…” (Kennedy). Kennedy’s usage of “we” rather than “I” gives the audience a sense that they exist as part of something big, perhaps a family, while portraying Kennedy as a people’s president who desires to be a “person in the crowd.” Throughout his address, Kennedy establishes pathos mainly by appealing to American patriotism, a significant concept during the Cold War period in which Americans needed a jingoistic spirit to succeed. By reminding his audience of their forefathers and instigating parallels between “the first revolution” and the present generation, “born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage,” the president grasps the attention of the audience. He even stresses the value of liberty and this generation’s dedication to the survival of that value to rou...
His speech contained persuasive appeals such as logos and pathos. Kennedy says “This peaceful revolution of hope cannot become the prey of hostile powers...our neighbors know we shall join with them to oppose aggression anywhere…let every power know this Hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house.” This strong quote corresponds with pathos, it pertains to the emotion of hope and courage that the U.S. needs to maintain its high ranking status among other countries. This shows that he wants us to be ready for anything
The inaugural speech was arranged so that it flowed easily from start to finish. The first paragraph contains many uses of comparison and contrast. For example, “We observe today not a victory of a party but a celebration of freedom—symbolizing an end as well as a beginning—signifying a renewal as well as change”(Kennedy par 1). There are also examples of cause and effect in the speech. I believe that this is to be expected because of all the deliberations over war. Kennedy used these techniques to make it sound like it was our moral responsibility we should go to war. These are the two basic s...
He does this for the reason that he wants to reiterate that American virtues are at the foundations of the people and not the government. Furthermore he creates his earnest tone through parallelism, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” This is earnest on the grounds that he not only shows what they need to do, but shows them what they have been doing wrong. His tone was also contemplative in the fact that Kennedy reflects on the issue of nuclear war and the consequences that it entails. The mention of a nuclear crisis intentionally unites everyone, both Republicans and Democrats, in a common goal to defeat a tangible enemy.
John F. Kennedy’s central argument in his inaugural speech is that America needs to act. During this time the Cold War was occurring, causing both America and the Soviet Union to compete in an arms race to see who could make the most nuclear weapons. Kennedy states that America needs to fight for freedom while also negotiating peace with communist countries, especially the Soviet Union. Kennedy does not want a nuclear war to occur so he wants peace before another world war happens. Kennedy also talks about helping the poor people in other countries. In the end Kennedy urges American citizens to help out in any way they can. Even though Kennedy does use pathos and ethos more than logos, it is the combination of all three that make his argument
But the point is we need to keep reminding each other and never forget about it. We need to repeat this so much that when we hear it again we have it memorized and we have no doubt about it. Kennedy used this to support his claim and put the nation as a whole to do things together and never be in doubt of their goals and have the common knowledge set in mind. So when you look over to the inaugural speech there is no doubt that the usage of ethos was on point. His morals about religion and doing stuff that led to the right way became very keen. “ With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth and to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.” (Kennedy, 1961) Kennedy always saw the belief the people had in him. Everyone looked up on the family to see what they were doing and tried to do whatever they were doing. He acknowledged all the things he had to do and made it pretty clear that he received good respect from his voters. He gave power to the people. When people looked up on him they saw how much he cared. When the Vietnam War was heating up he tried his very best to keep his words very straightforward and honest. He used pathos in his speech through the usage of the phrases, “ a celebration of freedom,” and, “ forge against these enemies.” By using these phrases, instead of making the war a task for the people, he made it out as saving the country for the people and for their kids. It wasn’t just a "go and fight," but more of a "go, win, and when you come back enjoy what you have accomplished." “ Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country.” (Kennedy, 1961) This quote by itself has showed up in textbooks, general literature, and other writings probably more than any of the
John emphasized if a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. He felt Americans needed to use their freedoms to do great things, not just be thankful they have them. Pres. Kennedy’s heart longed for the nation of America to grab hold of the reigns of their freedom and take it to the extreme. The extreme would be to feed the hungry, help those in poverty fight their way out of it, and make peace in the world more often than war.
Even though much of the address is fervent in tone, Kennedy devotes a large section of his topic to outline his ethos to all inhabitants of the world. JFK introduced the use of the ethos at the inception of his address. Kennedy was very young when he came into office, but he was still obliged to act at the same level as former presidents. Attentive to this condition, Kennedy states, “[he] has sworn before [the audience] and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forbears prescribed nearly a century and three quarters ago.” Kennedy wants to make it clear to everyone that he has endured through the same operation as all the other leaders, and intends to uphold the American principle that this country was Jensen 3rd.
Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States of America. His inaugural address showed his stance on freedom, and he said some controversial statements that fazed many during that era. He was very committed to the idea of freedom for everyone no matter what race, religion, status, etc they were. Kennedy made an extreme sacrifice when he was unfortunately assassinated because many learned about him and his beliefs. His inaugural address states, “Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” (Kennedy). Similarly, he was earnestly passionate about freedom for all and that any sacrifice no matter how extreme, would be necessary to achieve freedom. Consequently, he was adamant about preserving liberty, and he was faced with issues at a public level. Kennedy expressed his feelings about helping less fortunate countries even though some people opposed his beliefs. He said, “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich,” (Kennedy). Moreover, he stressed that Americans should be grateful that they lived in the U.S. Also, he was determined to preserve America’s freedom that was earned from hardships of the
“Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”
In his Inaugural Address he said, that he would bear any burden, pay any price, and the hardship, to oppose any foe and success of liberty(Kennedy.5). This meant that he was to do as much as he possibly could to ensure and spread freedom around the world. Because European countries wanted a communist country which was to have all of your property owned not by you but everyone. Since there was no freedom or constitution Kennedy’s wasn’t going to approve of this idea. President Kennedy also stated, “...those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.” (Kennedy.8). He stated something very powerful with how the Nuclear attacks were occurring then that he said, that people who want power and use force will be destroyed before he can control