What is Rhetoric?

[TheSneakster]

"Their practices seem to have no scientific backing, only the written work of Ron Hubbard. "

This article is an opinion piece posted 31 March 2015 on a blog, by a student at Penn State (Sarah Vlazny). It is not a peer-reviewed academic journal publication, so nobody at Penn State reviewed either her facts or her reasoning. Specifically, it is was not approved as an official statement by any qualified academic at Penn State.

It starts off with the standard critic Fallacy of Origin about Scientology: Hubbard wrote Science Fiction, therefore Scientology is Science Fiction and goes down hill from there. This woman is merely parroting a list of anti-Scientology critic talking points while lacking any personal observations to add to the discussion.

So there you have it. Riddick attempted to persuade the reader using recycled critic rhetoric and used a false appeal to authority in the process ("interesting post by a .edu").

 

[Lee #28]

I think the first Superman Comic, published in 1939 ......might have given Hubbard some ideas....

Superman's Origins Possibly Born from Star Explosion

The creators of Superman might have been inspired by one of the brightest stellar explosions of the 20th century, one scholar contends.

www.space.com

 

[Riddick]

This article is an opinion piece posted 31 March 2015 on a blog, by a student at Penn State (Sarah Vlazny). It is not a peer-reviewed academic journal publication, so nobody at Penn State reviewed either her facts or her reasoning. Specifically, it is was not approved as an official statement by any qualified academic at Penn State.

It starts off with the standard critic Fallacy of Origin about Scientology: Hubbard wrote Science Fiction, therefore Scientology is Science Fiction and goes down hill from there. This woman is merely parroting a list of anti-Scientology critic talking points while lacking any personal observations to add to the discussion.

So there you have it. Riddick attempted to persuade the reader using recycled critic rhetoric and used a false appeal to authority in the process ("interesting post by a .edu").

I dunno Michael Hobson, I think it's science fiction.

science fiction definition: "fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes, frequently portraying space or time travel and life on other planets."

fiction definition = "literature in the form of prose that describes imaginary events and people."

I think Hubbard did this with his PDC's, History of Man, his Bridge to Total Freedom with all the fiction EP's one is supposed to have all the way up to OT levels. All of his lectures and books are fiction.

It's pretty much fiction.

Nobody went clear or OT.

 

[Riddick]

One of the things Hubbard said in his rhetoric writings was to join the winning team, that would be scientology. Turns out to be a flop big time. Latest news is Mike Rinder book coming out. I guess Mike and others, even myself, thought we joined the winning team.

My guess is Mike will explain it but not in simple terms like I just said.

There are no clears or OT's, in the end scientology is much ado about nothing. And that means much creation by Hubbard to create an organization that would planet clear people, but yet it has never happened nor will ever happen. It has been much ado about nothing.

 

[Riddick]

This is a good write-up to explain Hubbard's rhetoric:

How to seduce your audience: Rhetoric in marketing and the art of persuasion (fiftyfiveandfive.com)

 

[Riddick]

From the link above:

"People don’t just use rhetoric in marketing, public speaking and debating. We use it all the time. We speak, we listen, we read, we write – and rhetoric is always there. It’s embedded in all human thought and expression. That’s why much of what I’ll talk about here may not seem new to you – because you’ve already been using rhetoric all your life, without always realising it."

From the link:

"Pathos: the appeal to emotion
‘Rhetoric is the art of enchanting the soul.’ – Socrates"

This is what hubbard did when he switched over from dianetics to a religion known as scientology, he enchanted the soul, except he called a soul a "thetan". Although in dianetics we had the tone scale 1-4. But in scientology we had the emotional tone scale expanded. This is one part of Hubbard's rhetoric, the pathos appeal to go up the Bridge to Total Freedom from wog to OT8 to have abilities as listed per each step up the Bridge.

 

[F.Bullbait]

Ron's business plan is Rhetoric...

 

[Riddick]

From the link I provided,
Kairos: the right moment in time.

"Lead nurturing is kairos in practice – an exercise in timing. Guiding buyers along the purchase journey, being aware of what their thoughts and responses are likely to be at each stage and tailoring your messaging accordingly."

And this is what Hubbard did all along one's involvement in dianetics/scientology.

Hubbard guided buyers of dianetics and especially scientology with the advent of The Bridge to Total Freedom. Guiding the preclear up the bridge to clear and then OT.

If one has read the PR and Marketing Series by Hubbard in the OEC's, one will realize there is such a thing as survey tech, that means to do surveys of people who were involved in scientology and raw public to find out one's Kairos.

"Guiding buyers along the purchase journey, being aware of what their thoughts and responses are likely to be at each stage and tailoring your messaging accordingly."

When I was on staff, we had a few people in the marketing division going out on the streets to do surveys. Also, whenever I attended a scientology event there were also survey questions to answer, event people would hand out surveys with a clip board and pen.

Nobody never in would understand this.

 

[Riddick]

from the link I provided, Kairos :

"Marketers also know all about creating a sense of urgency. The limited-time offer is a good example of this, and the ‘call to action’, a marketing staple, is a simple and effective embodiment of this use of kairos in marketing: ‘buy now’."

OMG, didn't Hubbard do this throughout his writings? Also when you went to the reg after you made a success story of the auditing action or course you completed, it was you better go up the Bridge, and buy the next step. Hubbard said it depends what we as scientologist do to stop the dwindling spiral of mankind, only a scientologist can help.

 

[Riddick]

I can't speak for others, but this is what happened to me.

The last statement of the link I provided regarding Kairos is this:

"It’s a powerful motivator, when used correctly. Nobody likes to be rushed, but nobody wants to miss out, either. Kairos evokes opportunity, and that’s extremely compelling. "

When I read and did lots of courses by Hubbard, I felt motivated to help, and I felt I did not want to miss out a big thing that could change and help people. I thought I would be a part of a great movement.

Of course, after many years of involvement, the big movement to clear to the planet has never happened, nor will ever happen.

 

[Riddick]

From the link I provided above,
Telos: knowing your purpose

"‘The two best rules for a system of rhetoric are: first, have something to say; and next, say it.’ - George Emmons

Key word a system, and that is what dianetics & scientology are, a system of rhetoric or in simplest word persuasion.

Hubbard's Telos, was his essay on his "My Philosophy" which most members read and felt influenced to join the movement. You can google search for the full essay of it.

What is also to be known, is that Hubbard even created a course call The Key to Life and the follow up one Life Orientation Course which had to do with purpose, or Telos for oneself.

Also, Hubbard said many times to just go up the Bridge, just do the next step and your Telos will happen, you might say.

 

[Riddick]

How many people on planet earth ask themselves What is your purpose in life? All of Hubbard's Telos was to give purpose to people joining Hubbard's organization, you would have a purpose in life if you joined and did the training and auditing, you would be part of a great movement to take man out of the mud that he thinks he was conceived from.

 

[Riddick]

Got this on my tweeter feed which is only about stock trading since I follow certain stock traders, not that many.

This guy said this which is all about rhetoric pathos:

"Rolex sells status, not watches.
Harley-Davidson sells a lifestyle, not motorcycles.
Apple sells design and ease, not electronics.
Great companies sell emotions, not products. "

Of course, what this fellow is basically saying pathos or emotions to persuade, just one of the 3 means to persuade.

Dianetics and scientology sell these things. There is the status of clear, and then the status of OT. And the status of going up the Bridge each step. And all the emotions of once getting so called verified for achieving this status.

Of course, dianetics and scientology are not great companies or organizations, but Hubbard's words make it sound like they were.

Oh, the pathos rhetoric of it all.

 

[Riddick]

It's very easy to explain how people got involved with dianetics & scientology after they did and left. Some say it is lack of critical thinking skills, some say we were stupid, some say we were hypnotized.

It's not easy to explain how we got involved in the first place.

It's very nice that people explain the stupid of dianetics and scientology but that doesn't help one to understand how and why we got involved.

 

[Riddick]

great article on rhetoric:

Rhetoric In The United States - 3658 Words | Studymode

 

[Riddick]

Mike Rinder explains Hubbard's rhetoric:

The End of The World is Nigh (mikerindersblog.org)

"This is one of those Hubbard statements that is used by registrars and fundraisers to convince people they must hand over their money now. And of course, as you can see, to persuade people to join staff. "

Key words convince and persuade.

 

[Riddick]

How does one convince or persuade another?

By setting up one has ethos, pathos and logos. Or, by setting oneself as having ethics, emotions and logic. Any one of the 3 can convince or persuade.

 

[Riddick]

Hubbard said the Sea Org was composed of the most ethical(ethos) people on the planet. I fell for it, turns out not to be true.

 

[Riddick]

What is kind of funny, but over on the stupid tread created by HH, he actually explains the rhetoric of dianetics and scientology. He/she has made thousands of posts all explaining it actually. Here is a example:

Hello Friend! We're Scientology—the world's
fastest growing religion. And religions don't lie!

"OUR TECHNOLOGY WORKS 100% OF THE TIME!"

I could go thru all his/her posts, and he/she actually explains the rhetoric of it all.

 

[Riddick]

ok, here a post by Veda of vid of a woman who joined the sea org in the early days, she tells in the beginning she only read dianetics and had not got any auditing but yet joined the Sea Org. OK, think about it. What got her to join you might say.

So there goes the hypothesis that auditing is brainwashing or hypnosis. What got her to join the Sea Org?

It was Hubbard's rhetoric in his book Dianetics that anybody could go clear.

Sylvia Calhoun, original Scientology Sea Org Member Interview - YouTube

It's around the 7 minute mark into the video.