Question

question 9 of 10

which situation describes a historian using rhetoric?

a. a historian analyzes dozens of primary sources to reach a conclusion about the effects of the cold war on russian politics.
b. a historian writes an essay arguing that the world trade organization has improved poor countries economies.
c. a historian decides not to refer to one source when writing a report because he cannot corroborate the information it contains.
d. a historian delivers a university lecture detailing the events of an important battle during world war i.

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Rhetoric in Historical Writing
Using language to persuade or argue a point.

Step 1: Define rhetoric

Rhetoric is the art of speaking or writing effectively, especially when trying to influence, persuade, or argue a specific point of view to an audience. In history, rhetoric is used when a historian is not just listing facts, but is constructing an argument to convince others of a particular interpretation of past events.

Step 2: Analyze the options

• Option A: Analyzing primary sources to reach a conclusion is a research method (historical analysis), not an act of persuasion or rhetoric.
• Option B: Writing an essay arguing a specific stance (that the WTO improved poor countries' economies) requires using persuasive language, evidence, and structured arguments to convince the reader. This is a direct application of rhetoric.
• Option C: Deciding not to use an uncorroborated source is an example of evaluating source reliability (historical methodology), not rhetoric.
• Option D: Detailing the events of a battle is presenting factual information or narrative description, rather than constructing a persuasive argument.

Step 3: Identify the correct situation

Option B is the only scenario where the historian is actively constructing an argument to persuade an audience, which is the definition of using rhetoric.

Answer:

B. A historian writes an essay arguing that the World Trade Organization has improved poor countries' economies.