| Pathos is what the Irish survive and thrive on, so Swift | | | | As for the logical considerations to A Modest Proposal, |
| begins his proposal with it. He presents a melancholy | | | | their appeal to reason, we refer to the itemized list, |
| image to his readers in the first lines of A Modest | | | | beginning with the presence of far too many Papists. |
| Proposal, calling to mind the beggars and urchins in Irish | | | | Logic states that they pose a danger to the country, |
| doorways, the women followed by three, four, or six | | | | with their yearly issue of yet more of their kind, their |
| children. The first paragraph contains seeds of his | | | | sinister political leanings and their financial loyalty to the |
| logical and ethical arguments as well, mentioning the | | | | Catholic Church through tithing, none of which, of |
| importuning of alms as a social evil, presumably | | | | course, found its way into Rev. Swift's collection |
| because the practice offends certain wealthy people | | | | basket of a Sunday. |
| who are the 'importuned', and the unpatriotic practice | | | | Secondly, again more logic, the proposal would give the |
| of leaving Ireland to fight for an English enemy. He then | | | | poor something they have no experience with, i.e. |
| elicits the emotions of his audience once more, | | | | money of their own, and thus a way to actually pay |
| preparing his own nest for subsequent feathering into | | | | their rent! This can be seen as either an appeal to |
| the bargain, saying that whoever offers a cheap and | | | | logos, or to pathos, as landowners, being subject to |
| easy solution to this dilemma ought to have a statue | | | | certain emotions themselves, are likely reluctant to |
| erected in his honor. | | | | evict their non-paying clients. The idea of renters |
| Pathetic argument presented, the author skips to a | | | | having money would, of course, allow landlords to raise |
| rather more ethical one. Considering one definition of | | | | the rent, thus a good idea, since corn and cattle have |
| Ethos as the 'character and definition of a community,' | | | | already been seized. It's obvious that Swift concedes |
| Swift's reference to the substitution of young lads and | | | | certain ruthless, thus unethical, behaviors to landlords, |
| maidens for venison is one place in A Modest | | | | who must have been a favorite target of his pen. Yet |
| Proposal that focuses on the ethical part of the | | | | the statement seems perfectly logical, and unassailable. |
| argument. It does so by allowing Swift to mention what | | | | He says. |
| he considers a truly outrageous idea, proffered by a | | | | Third in line of logical arguments centers again on the |
| fellow of his acquaintance, a true lover of his country, | | | | public coffers. Since the expenditure is so great to |
| who like others of his caste has lost all his deer. The | | | | maintain the poor unfortunate children, why not use the |
| fellow's solution is to replace the deer with young lads | | | | proposal to not only enrich Ireland, but to give the |
| and maidens not exceeding fourteen years of age. | | | | country something it lacks, an industry of its very own? |
| With tongue firmly installed in cheek, Swift is rightfully | | | | The irony is rich; Swift goes from a discussion of |
| chagrined at such an idea, citing the fact that the meat | | | | financial matters and cold, hard economic concerns, |
| of such children would be tough and sinewy, thus | | | | directly to new dishes and restaurant concepts. Of |
| unacceptable for such refined palates. Leave it to | | | | course the only people who stand to benefit are the |
| Swift to be so cautious of the tastes and sensibilities | | | | (thinly-veiled) English aristocracy, those Gentlemen of |
| of the only people who matter in Ireland, such as the | | | | Fortune in the Kingdom, who evidently lack not food, |
| highly esteemed gent, so deserving a patriot. | | | | but sufficient imagination to create new recipes. |
| But the idea is turned back, as the author neatly | | | | Fourth, and perhaps the most logical argument |
| summarizes the values and ethics of the community | | | | concerns the very poor themselves, the so-called |
| which would, at least considering the breeding potential | | | | constant breeders. Swift brings them into the |
| of the females, constitute a loss to the public. He goes | | | | argument, assuming that they understand the |
| on to spare the energies and sensibilities of scrupulous | | | | necessity of his proposal as well. Just think, he says, |
| people who would, unjustly in his opinion, censure the | | | | once this idea takes root, you'll be free of the burden |
| practice as cruel. This has always been Swift's own | | | | of raising these children once they reach a year old. |
| personal opinion, thus his ideas are in keeping with | | | | Plus, you'll have eight shillings per annum! Who can |
| community ethics. There have clearly been other such, | | | | deny the logic of this? It's obvious that Mr. Swift has |
| in his opinion, unethical practices, and he abhors them. | | | | little regard for the Irish peasant, even though he |
| He says. | | | | appears to include them in his grand scheme. This is, |
| Then Swift continues picking at the idea, stating that his | | | | perhaps, the way the Irish have been dealt with all |
| friend got it from a fellow from Formosa, who says | | | | along by another overbearing entity, the English |
| those in his country considered among the riffraff for | | | | government across the water. |
| whatever reason are given over to Persons of quality | | | | Fifth, he returns to the culinary aspects of the proposal, |
| as prime delicacies. Ever the ethicist, Swift ponders | | | | citing the dining possibilities for rich people, whom the |
| this, mindful of the communities economic interests, | | | | vintners can perhaps scalp with ever higher prices. So |
| naturally, and then allows that eating girls who are, | | | | not only has Swift made his logical appeal to the |
| without one single Groat to their Fortunes, may not be | | | | patriots, the religious, and the rich, he extends the |
| a bad idea after all. The Kingdom would not be the | | | | proposal to commoners, and even beggars. How can |
| worse. He says. | | | | it possibly be turned aside? He asks. |