Rhetorical Analysis Of 'The Coddling Of The American Mind'

Trigger Warnings on College Campuses Rhetorical Analysis Writers Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, in their article “The Coddling of the American Mind”, detail the effects that safe spaces and trigger warnings are having on college campuses. They claim that “in the name of emotional well-being, college students are increasingly demanding protection from words and ideas they don’t like” and add they will explain “why that’s disastrous for education and mental health”. Through the use of the word “increasingly”, the writers recognize that not all students are following the damaging trend, but instead it is becoming progressively prevalent and as a result needs to be addressed. Throughout the article, explanations are given for the stance against shielding students from opinions they find oppressive, as well as ways to combat and fix the problem. Through this, the writers hope to promote a college experience where students can feel safe and

By writing “when the ideas, values, and speech of the other side are seen not just as wrong but as willfully aggressive toward innocent victims, it is hard to imagine the kind of mutual respect, negotiation, and compromise that are needed to make politics a positive-sum game”, the authors exhibit their feelings that perceiving differing opinions as aggressive is the wrong viewpoint. Connecting the disputes at college campuses to affecting politics develops a pressing feeling that something needs to change. Many people may view the culture at universities as something that doesn’t affect them or matter, and the writers of this article hope and try to change this outlook by constantly referencing how the increased amount of coddling and protectiveness will poorly affect the future of the students as well as the