Rhetorical Question – a question that has an obvious answer (or no valid answer at all).
 

A rhetorical question is a question that has an obvious answer.  The word “rhetorical” comes from its base form, “rhetoric,” meaning “verbal discourse.”  Rhetorical questions are asked when speakers seek confirmation without using the words, “Am I right?”  The fallacy occurs when rhetorical questions are used in place of valid evidence.  Because the speaker assumes that his audience agrees with the question, he does not intend to learn anything new (therefore, he does not make a true argument).
 

EXAMPLE 1

Mom and Dad sarcastically ask: “Are we having fun yet, kids?”

Dad may ask his children this question at the amusement park.  If dad can see their smiling faces and screams of laughter, then he does not need to actually ask this question (which is why it is considered “rhetorical” – it is asked simply to speak the words, not to discover whether or not the kids are actually having any fun).  Of course, the children will answer “yes,” and Dad has a nice memory to draw on for years to come.  The children confirm that their father knows how to show them a good time, and everybody is happy.  This tactic serves an emotional need, not a persuasive one.

 
EXAMPLE 2

An environmental engineer asks: “If we continue to dump oil-based toxins into the river, won’t the water become more polluted?”

This question is an excellent way to begin a research paper — it is a critical question to start the brainstorming process.  It cannot be used as evidence, however, since it does not make a claim, form a statement, or draw any conclusions.  In fact, the conclusion is already assumed (automotive exhaust causes pollution).  Of course, we know that our vehicles are contributing to the world’s pollution, but this author needs to present these facts by credible sources since she has the burden of proof.  She cannot assume that her readers will simply nod their heads in affirmation.  Always provide clear, well-explained answers when asking any questions in a persuasive essay.
 

FOR  YOUR  INFORMATION  

Rhetorical questions are dangerous because an author must always assume that his audience needs to be persuaded, not that his audience already agrees.  Rhetorical questions also shift the burden of proof away from the speaker and onto the audience, which reflects the earlier fallacies in this section.  Rhetorical questions are forms of shifting the burden of proof because they assume that the answer to the question is “common knowledge” when, in fact, it is nothing more than an assumption (a guess or hunch) made by the speaker.