Hellen Phillips Article: "The Cell that Makes Us Human"
The article "The Cell that Makes Us Human" by Hellen Phillips gives details of a new human physiology discovery, spindle cells, utilizes the absence of the said cells from lower order animals to differentiate humanity, and other higher order primates, from the rest of the animal population. The article associates the existence of spindle cells in the human brain to various unique functions and emotions of human beings including love, empathy, shame, and capacity to coexist in a social setting among others. The purpose of the article is to not only inform the audience of the spindle cells recently discovered by John Allman but to also provide insight into the significance of the discovery. The primary target readership includes the general public, practitioners in the medical and psychology professions, and sections of the population interested in science. An analysis of the article reveals various rhetorical tools that aid in both effective communication of the desired message and also literary appeal to the audience. This essay provides a rhetorical analysis of the article and addresses various issues characterizing that influence the audience namely logical reasoning, facts and evidence, appeals, counter argument and new insights gained.
Logical Reasoning in the Article
The author of the article utilizes logical reasoning to convince the audience regarding the role of spindle cells in humanity's uniqueness. She employs rationality to convince the reader that the said their social behavior is a result of the existence of spindle cells. This concept is given credence by the fact that she directly quotes John Alman statement, "The main thing [spindle cells] do is to adjust your behavior in a rapid real-time interaction in a complex social environment." Another evidence of the use of rationale is displayed in the article's dismissal of the idea that spindle cells are too few to carry out the functionality associated with them. The author logically argues that, "The cortex of the brain is built up of neat layers of cells running parallel to the brain's undulating surface." It is the event that the author utilizes rational reasoning to appeal to the critical faculties of the audience thus effectively communicating the desired message.
Use of Facts and Evidence
The use of facts and evidenced backed arguments is rampant throughout the article. One example is the factual stating of the functions of critical parts of the brain relevant to the topic at hand in which the author accurately states, "The anterior cingulate region has many functions: guiding attention, sensing pain and errors, and tapping into the control systems for breathing, heart rate, and other internal organs." These facts are well known across the scientific arena and thus give the author of intellectual authority necessary to influence the audience.
Rhetorical Appeals
Hellen Phillips also utilizes various appeals to influence the audience. The first is ethos, where she evokes emotions in across the article's readership. The author evokes feelings of superiority of the human race among the audience by linking the presence and high number of spindle cells among humans to their uniqueness. The article states, "Orangs had just a few, humans tens of thousands. Gorillas, chimps and bonobos fell in between—the numbers seeming to reflect the animals' distance from us on the evolutionary tree." This statement evokes a feeling of pride in humanity and a sense of accomplishment coupled with genetic superiority stemming from having a higher number of spindle cells. Another appeal is with regards to pathos. The author cites credible professionals in her article that corroborate the positive correlation between spindle cells and human social and emotional intelligence. Among the said distinguished professional include a neuroscientist, primatologist and scholars from distinguished universities who all collaborate John Allman's theory of spindle cells. This phenomenon gives the author credibility and trustworthiness from an audience's perspective. It is thus clear that the author utilizes various rhetoric appeals to influence her readers.
Presence of Counter-Argument
An analysis of the article also reveals the existence of counter-argument to the Spindle cell theory of social and emotional intelligence postulated by John Allman. The author cites people with autism who automatically have spindle cells by virtue of being human but still display elements of diminished social behavior. "For example, people with autism are often extremely capable in predictable environments where rules, logic, and calculations work, but in a complex, ever-changing social setting they often fail to behave in appropriate ways." This argument creates a doubt on the existence or role of spindle cells as elaborated by Allman. While Allman tries to negate the opposing argument by engaging in research to link of neuropsychiatric disorders to the spindle cell system, the mere decision of the author to include the opposing argument increase the articles effectiveness particulary wit regards to bias independence.
New Insights and Chronological Order
The article also gives the audience access to new insight. The spindle cells and their role in social and emotional behavior among humans is a relatively new concept. Also, the fact that spindle cells differ in number among animals represents new insights to the audience. The final aspect of the article that is also imperative in effective communication with the audience is the chronological order of arrangement characteristic of the literary piece. The article begins by mapping the topic to its historical context, introduces Allman and his discovery, discusses the spindle cell concept throughout the body and finally concludes by linking the said discovery to the purpose of the paper.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "The Cell that Makes Us Human" by Hellen Phillips is a very insightful article that discusses the social and emotional intelligence difference between humans and other animals. A rhetorical analysis of the article reveals various features that appeal to the audience and also aid effective communication between the author and the readers. As discussed herein, the article employs logos, ethos, and pathos as rhetoric tools and also provides a counter-argument of the main concept discussed, Finally, the article provides new insight to the audience and is chronologically arranged, an aspect that aids successful interaction between the author and her readers.
Work Cited
Phillips, Helen. “The Cell That Makes Us Human” from New Scientist, vol. 182, no. 2452, 19 June 2004.
