Antisagoge (antis-a-go’-gee): 1. Making a concession before making one’s point (=paromologia); 2. Using a hypothetical situation or a precept to illustrate antithetical alternative consequences, typically promises of reward and punishment.
1. I know it’s a lot of money to spend on a vacation, but it isn’t going to break us. In fact, I ran the numbers & it looks like it’s well within our means. Besides, we’ve never seen a bee farm before! It’ll be educational!
2. You’re going to be applying to colleges this year. You need to plan ahead: Imagine you’re applying for college and the application asks if you have any noteworthy extracurricular achievements. If you go ahead and waste another summer partying at the beach, you’ll have nothing worthwhile to write about. On the other hand, just imagine spending the entire summer helping me–AKA your dear dad–build and sell these really cool cinder block birdhouses I invented. You’ll have something worthwhile to say on that application that may make the difference between being accepted and rejected. Come on. What’ll it be? The birdhouses or the beach? College, or who knows what? It seems like a no-brainer to me. Here’s a drill and a cinder block. Let’s get to work!
- Post your own antisagoge on the “Comments” page!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
