Analyzing Purpose

This blog post will analyze the purpose of my argument using the instructions detailed in Writing Public Lives page 326.

geralt, "Think Thinking Hand Reflect Light Bulb." Feb. 2015 via Pixabay. Public Domain License.

1. The goal of my public argument will be to raise awareness about this controversy in an audience that has not usually been addressed in other public speech acts. In particular, I want to raise awareness amongst people who are not usually very interested in science, in order to show them why they should care about this debate. I also want to focus on possible positive outcomes of this technology. Most other public speech acts have focused on the negative side of this technology, either by demonstrating the harm it could to or by refuting the aforementioned argument. I want my argument to argue for this technology by showing the good that it could do, rather than the bad. This might prove beneficial in making my audience interested in the topic.

2. Plausible Actions/Reactions

• Increased interest in the topic
• Social media posts to raise awareness (Twitter, blogs, etc.)
• Petitions to continue research
• Further research on the topic

Not Plausible

• Scientific research on the topic (in person)
• Active protesting/lobbying
• Reading scientific papers to understand the topic

3. Increased interest in this topic might motivate some people to act on the topic. This could lead to further discussions through social media and other outlets of public opinion. In turn, this would raise awareness about the issue, which might motivate others to also become interested and act in favor of the technology. In this way, this plausible action repeats itself with different audiences.

4. Because I am not aiming to write a very scientific text, my audience will likely be composed of people who have little or no knowledge of this issue. While these people would have to be somewhat educated to understand the issue, they could include anyone from high school graduates to college students. I want this text to be accessible to anyone with moderate levels of education, since I have noticed that a lot of related texts are not aimed at people who are uninformed of the subject. In order to write for this audience, I will have to adjust my tone accordingly. This will allow me to effectively communicate with this audience.