IN-PERSON New Schools of Thought

Abstract

We teach our children to be good human beings and productive citizens, caring for ourselves and others and being kind and supportive. But Trump’s communications in the 2015-16 campaign were a unique phenomena in their disregard for ethics, integrity and empathy as well as the desire to divide and discourage the nation. Trump’s offensive communications continued in the 2024 political campaign and some would argue, reached new depths of condemnation, racism, misogyny and lies (Rabab’ah, G., Hussein, A., & Jarbou, S., 2024). Yet Trump won the popular vote. This paper explores Trump’s rhetorical strategies in light of Aristotle’s three kinds of arguments: ethos, relating to the character of the speaker; logos, or arguments which are meant to prove the speaker’s point or to give the impression that the point has been proven; and pathos, or emotive arguments, which aim to create a particular mood in the speaker (Orly, 2018). The paper explores the specific ways in which Trump builds on “the five deepest fears of children with which we all struggle throughout our lives: a) fear of the unknown; b) fear of being alone or being left alone; c) fears about our bodies; d) fears of the voice of conscience; and) fears about the self” (Siegler, 2017). This paper details what can be done to empower children and students during this time, when many of them are under direct attack by his rhetoric. Strategies to deal with these troubling issues are offered for a range of ages, from children to teen-agers.