ther for purposes of instruction, or of persuasion (142).
In these words, Plato affirms the position that individuals must primarily find a perspective from their own souls or else they will become victim to the "art of speech" for purposes of persuasion. In this way, individuals who allow such an intrusion into their own thinking undermine the essence of American individualism.
Because the "art of speech" is practiced in both business and politics, the perspective of the "consumer" (of both products and government) is swayed according to their emotions, according to their accepted norms, and according to their sense of nationalism. It is through advertising that most political groups and candidates achieve this and communicate their versions of the "facts."
According to Woodward, in Advertising as Persuasion, there are many ways in which advertisers, and in this case politicians, attempt to motivate consumers (voters). Perhaps one of the most influential and significant "emotions" through which this is attempted is through notions of power. Woodward acknowledges the many different kinds of power: economic, physical, political and social, all of which pertain to the political arena, and as consumers of information, voters are placed in the "power-seeking position" (201).
Second, Woodward argues that advertising appeals to the consumer's sense of meaning. He writes, "We live in a compl
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