Rhetorical Question
Pattern
Question form for assertion — answer is implied
Definition
A question asked not to elicit an answer but to make a point, assert something, or create emphasis.
Examples
Example 1
If not us, who? If not now, when?
Attributed to Hillel the Elder; popularized by John F. Kennedy
No answer is expected — the questions themselves serve as a call to action
Example 2
Are we going to sit here and do nothing while the planet burns?
The question implies its own answer (no) and functions as a demand for action
Example 3
Can anyone look at the record of this administration and say, "Well done"?
The speaker assumes the audience will answer "no," turning the question into an indictment
AI Detection Note
Very common in AI text. LLMs use rhetorical questions as transitional devices with high frequency ('But what does this really mean?', 'So why does this matter?'). Multiple rhetorical questions in sequence is a strong AI signal.
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