Definition and Examples of Confirmation in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Confirmation in Rhetoric Definition In classical rhetoric, the confirmation is the main part of a speech or text in which logical arguments in support of a position (or claim) are elaborated. Also called confirmatio. Etymology:  From the Latin verb confirmare, meaning strengthen or establish. Pronunciation: kon-fur-MAY-shun Confirmation is one of the classical rhetorical exercises known as the  progymnasmata. These exercises, originating in ancient Greece with the rhetorician Aphthonius of Antioch, were designed to teach rhetoric by providing exercises in increasing difficulty, beginning with simple storytelling and increasing to complex arguments. In the confirmation exercise, a student would be asked to logically reason in favor of some topic or argument found in myth or literature. The rhetorical opposite of confirmation is refutation, which involves arguing against something instead of in its favor. Both require logical and/or moral arguments to be marshaled in similar ways, simply with opposite goals. See Examples and Observations below. Also see: The Parts of a SpeechWhat Are the Progymnasmata? Examples of Confirmation The few bright meteors in mans intellectual horizon could well be matched by woman, were she allowed to occupy the same elevated position. There is no need of naming the De Staels, the Rolands, the Somervilles, the Wollstonecrafts, the Wrights, the Fullers, the Martineaus, the Hemanses, the Sigourneys, the Jagiellos, and the many more of modern as well as ancient times, to prove her mental powers, her patriotism, her heroism, her self-sacrificing devotion to the cause of humanitythe eloquence that gushes from her pen or from her tongue. These things are too well known to require repetition. And do you ask for fortitude of mind, energy, and perseverance? Then look at woman under suffering, reverse of fortune, and affliction, when the strength and power of man has sunk to the lowest ebb, when his mind is overwhelmed by the dark waters of despair. She, like the tender plant, bent but not broken by the storms of life, now only upholds her own hopeful courage, but, like the tender shoots of the ivy, clings around the tempest-fallen oak, to bind up the wounds, peak hope to his faltering spirit, and shelter him from the returning blast of the storm.(Ernestine Rose, An Address on Womens Rights, 1851) This food would likewise bring great custom to taverns; where the vintners will certainly be so prudent as to procure the best receipts for dressing it to perfection, and consequently have their houses frequented by all the fine gentlemen.(Jonathan Swift,  A Modest Proposal) Explanations of Confirmation Cicero on ConfirmationThe confirmation is that part of a narration that, by marshaling arguments, lends force, authority, and support to our case. . . .All argumentation is to be carried on either by analogy or by the enthymeme. Analogy is a form of argument that moves from assent on certain undisputed facts through approval of a doubtful proposition due to the resemblance between what is granted and what is doubtful. This style of argument is threefold: the first part consists of one or more similar instances, the second part is the point we wish to have conceded, and the third is the conclusion that reinforces the concessions or shows the consequences of the argument.Enthymematic reasoning is a form of argument that draws a probable conclusion from the facts under consideration.(Cicero, De Inventione)Aphthonius on Confirmation in the ProgymnasmataConfirmation is showing proof for any matter at hand. But one must confirm neither those things clearly manifest nor those utterly imposs ible, but those that hold an intermediate position. And it is necessary for those engaged in confirmation to treat it in a manner that is exactly the opposite of refutation. First, one must speak of the good reputation of the proponent; then, in turn, to make the exposition and to make use of the opposite headings: the clear instead of the unclear, the probable for the improbable, the possible in place of the impossible, the logical instead of the illogical, the suitable for the unsuitable, and the expedient in place of the inexpedient.This exercise encompasses all the power of the art.(Aphthonius of Antioch, Progymnasmata, late fourth century. Readings from Classical Rhetoric, ed. by Patricia P. Matsen, Philip B. Rollinson, and Marion Sousa. Southern Illinois University Press, 1990)

Organizing Your Genealogy Files

Organizing Your Genealogy Files Piles of copies of old records, printouts from genealogy websites, and letters from fellow genealogy researchers are sitting in piles on the desk, in boxes, and even on the floor. Some are even mixed in with bills and your childrens school papers. Your papers may not be completely disorganized if youre asked for something specific, you can probably find it, but it definitely isnt a filing system that you would describe as efficient. Believe it or not, the solution is as simple as finding an organizational system that suits your needs and research habits and then making it work. It might not be as simple as it sounds, but it is doable and will ultimately help to keep you from spinning your wheels and duplicating research. Which Filing System is Best Ask a group of genealogists how they organize their files, and youre likely to get as many different answers as genealogists. There are a number of popular genealogy organization systems, including binders, notebooks, files, etc., but there truly is no individual system which is best or correct. We all think and behave differently, so ultimately the most important consideration in setting up your filing system is that it must fit your personal style. The best organization system is always the one that you will use. Taming the Paper Monster As your genealogy project progresses youll find that you have numerous paper documents to file for each individual that you research birth records, census records, newspaper articles, wills, correspondence with fellow researchers, Web site printouts, etc. The trick is to develop a filing system that will enable to easily lay your fingers on any of these documents at any time. Commonly used genealogical filing systems include: By Surname:  All papers for an individual surname are filed together.By Couple or Family:  All papers related to a husband and wife or family unit are filed together.By Family Line:  All papers related to a specific family line are filed together. Many genealogists begin by starting with four such ancestral lines one for each of their grandparents.By Event:  All papers related to a specific event type (i.e. birth, marriage, census, etc.) are filed together. Beginning with any of the four systems mentioned above, you could then further organize your papers into the following categories: By Location:  Papers are first grouped by one of the four genealogy filing systems listed above, and then further broken down by country, state, county, or town to reflect your ancestors migration. For example, if you chose the Surname Method, you would first group all CRISP ancestors together, and then further break the piles down into the England CRISPs, the North Carolina CRISPs, and the Tennessee CRISPs.By Record Type:  Papers are first grouped by one of the four genealogy filing systems listed above, and then further broken down by record type (i.e. birth records, census records, wills, etc.). Binders, Folders, Notebooks, or Computer The first step to starting an organizational system is to decide on the basic physical form for your filing (piles dont count!)   file folders, notebooks, binders, or computer disks. Filing Cabinet and File Folders:  File folders, probably the most popular organizational tool for genealogists, are inexpensive, very portable, and easily hold papers of different shapes and sizes. When dropped, however, file folders can become quite a mess with papers thrown out of order, and possibly misplaced. File folders make it easy to consult documents, but you have to be diligent about making sure the paper is put back where it came from. Once youve generated a lot of paper, however, the file folder system is the most flexible and expandable.Binders:  If youre someone who really likes to keep things together in one place, then organizing your printed genealogy data into binders may be a good option for you. This method standardizes your genealogical records into a regular size paper format. Documents that you dont wish to three-hole punch, can be added in polypropylene sleeves. Binders are portable and dont require a filing cabinet, however, if you do a lot of genealogic al research you may find that binders eventually become too cumbersome on their own.​ Computer Disks, CDs, and DVDs:  Transcribing  or scanning genealogical documents into the computer can save quite a bit of space, and computerized organizational systems can greatly speed up tedious tasks such as sorting and cross-referencing. CD-ROM quality has also greatly improved, supposedly lasting indefinitely under proper storage conditions. But, will your descendants 100 or more years from now have a computer that can read them? If you choose to use your computer as your primary organizational system, consider also making and preserving copies or printouts of important documents. Once you get started organizing your genealogical clutter, youll probably find that a combination of storage methods works best. Some people, for example, use binders to organize proven family and file folders for miscellaneous research on unproven connections, neighborhood or locality research, and correspondence. It is important to keep in mind that organization is and always will be a work in progress. Organizing Your Genealogy Using File Folders To set up and use file folders to organize your genealogy records you will need the following basic supplies: A filing cabinet or file boxes with lids. The boxes need to be strong, preferably plastic, with horizontal inner ridges or grooves for letter-size hanging files.Colored, letter-size hanging file folders  in blue, green, red, and yellow. Look for ones with large tabs. You can also save a bit of money here by purchasing standard green hanging file-folders instead and using colored labels for the color-coding.Manila folders. These should have slightly smaller tabs than the hanging file folders and should have reinforced tops to last through heavy use.Pens. For best results, use a pen with an ultra fine point, felt tip, and black, permanent, acid-free ink.Highlighters. Buy highlighters in light blue, light green, yellow, and pink (dont use red because it is too dark). Colored pencils also work.Labels for file folders. These labels should have blue, green, red and yellow strips along the top and permanent adhesive on the back. Once youve assembled your supplies, its time to get started with the file folders. Use different colored file folders for the lineages of each of your four grandparents in other words, all folders created for the ancestors of one grandparent will be marked with the same color. The colors you select are up to you, but the following color choices are the most common: BLUE - ancestors of your paternal grandfather (fathers father)GREEN - ancestors of your paternal grandmother (fathers mother)RED - ancestors of your maternal grandfather (mothers father)YELLOW - ancestors of your maternal grandmother (mothers mother) Using the colors as outlined above, create a separate folder for each surname, writing names on the hanging file tab insert with the black permanent marker (or printing inserts on your printer). Then hang the files in alphabetical order in your file box or cabinet by color (i.e. put the blues alphabetically in one group, the greens in another group, etc.). If youre new to genealogy research, this may be all you need to do. If you have accumulated a lot of notes and photocopies, however, it is now time to subdivide. Here is where you need to choose how you want to organize your files. The two most popular methods as discussed on page 1 of this article are: by  Surname  (further broken down as needed by Locality and/or Record Type)by  Couple or Family Group The basic filing instructions are the same for each, the difference is primarily in how they are organized. If you arent sure yet which method will work best for you, try using the Surname method for one surname and the Family Group method for one or two families. See which one suits you best, or develop your own combination of the two. Family Group Method Create a family group sheet for each married couple listed on your pedigree chart. Then set up manila folders for each of the families by putting a colored label on the file folder tab. Match the label color to the color of the appropriate family line. On each label, write the names of the couple (using the  maiden name  for the wife) and the numbers from your  pedigree chart  (most pedigree charts use the  ahnentafel numbering system). Example: James OWENS and Mary CRISP, 4/5. Then place these manila family folders in the hanging folders for the appropriate surname and color, arranged in alphabetical order by the husbands first name or in numerical order by the numbers from your pedigree chart. In the front of each manila folder, attach the family group record of the family to serve as a table of contents. If there was more than one marriage, make a separate folder with a family group record for each other marriage. Each family folder should include all documents and notes from the time of a couples marriage. Documents which pertain to events prior to their marriage should be filed in the folders of their parents, such as birth certificates and family census records. Surname and Record Type Method First, sort your files by surname, and then create manila folders for each of the record types for which you have paperwork by putting a colored label on the file folder tab, matching the label color to the surname. On each label, write the name of the surname, followed by the record type. Example: CRISP: Census, CRISP: Land Records. Then place these manila family folders in the hanging folders for the appropriate surname and color, arranged in alphabetical order by the type of record. In the front of each manila folder, create and attach a table of contents that indexes the contents of the folder. Then add all documents and notes which correspond to the surname and type of record.