Introduction
The focus of the article offered for reading is an examination of the two social paradigms, socialism, and capitalism, as strategies for achieving moral well-being. The main conclusion, which Thompson does not postulate explicitly but hints at, is that the capitalist economic system is more morally progressive because it promotes a spirit of enterprise, cooperation, and independence. In order to convey this message, the author uses several rhetorical devices, the discussion of which is part of this analysis.
Discussion
Turning to Pathos to show that modern America has moved away from capitalist ideology and toward a mixed form of economic systems, Thompson resorts to emotional expressions that unequivocally show his attitude toward what is happening. In paragraph 14, the author uses the word “Unfortunately,” which is not academic but instead expresses the author’s bias. The reader should understand from this choice of words that America’s departure from a purely capitalist system is indeed a problem. The same is observed when the author, in describing socialist morality, uses terms such as “theft,” “envy,” and “Nazism,” initially colored with negative connotations.
References to specific historical figures, such as Mussolini and Goering, are part of Logos as a system of increasing the persuasiveness of the reading. From this perspective, placing such historical names, who were nonetheless decision-makers in the fascist practices of Italy and Germany of the last century, in the text does not seem surprising (Thompson para. 3). Instead of using the names of the founders of this ideology, including Marx and Engels, the author deliberately uses negatively colored names to show the moral nothingness of socialism in comparison to capitalism. The reader has a natural association between socialist morality, which in itself is not the worst, and the Nazis.
Conclusion
Thus, the rhetorical analysis performed has shown that the author used at least two rhetorical devices in order to convey the primary meaning of his article more. These include Logos as a tool for referring to figures, historical facts, and names, and Pathos as a means of increasing the emotional power of the text. The author does not refer to his biography in the article, but the structure of his tone and the opposition he operates with make it possible to accurately convey the key idea of the entire text.
Work Cited
Thompson, Bradley. Socialism vs. Capitalism: Which is the Moral System? Ashbrook Ashland University, 1993.