Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Art of Rhetoric: Learning how to use the three rhetorical styles

(Ethos, Pathos, Logos)
Key Words to Know:
Rhetoric: the art of speaking or
writing effectively or persuasively

Appeals are how a
writer/speaker tries to convince
his or her intended audience.

Whenever you read or
hear an argument you
must ask yourself,

What is the writers/speakers
purpose?
Is this persuasive? And if so, to
whom?"
The three methods of
persuasion are


ethos
pathos
logos
Ethos
The Writers Character or Image
The Greek word Ethos is related to our word
ethics or ethical
Ethics means moral, honest and good
When used correctly, Ethos makes the
writer/speaker appear...
Well-informed about the topic
Confident in his or her position
Sincere and honest
Understanding of concerns and
possible objections
Humane and considerate
ETHOS


Ethos is a persons
credibility with a given
audience. It can mean
sincerity, authority,
expertise, faithfulness, or
any adjective that
describes someone you
can trust to do the right
thing.
Think about going into your doctor's
office and seeing a medical degree
from Harvard versus seeing a degree
from a no-name town university.
What is the difference?
The same is true about an author of
a piece of writing. The clues are
more subtle but they are there if you
look for them.

Ethos is an effective persuasive strategy
because when we believe that the
speaker does not intend to do us harm,
we are more willing to listen to what
s/he has to say.
When a judge comments on legal
precedent audiences tend to listen
because it is the job of a judge to know
the nature of past legal cases.

Pathos
is more about the audience..
How is the audience (of which you
are a part) being manipulated?
Pathos
The emotions of the audience
Pathos is related to the words pathetic, sympathy
and empathy.
When you accept a claim based on how it makes
you feel without fully analyzing the rationale
behind it, you are acting on pathos.
Can be manipulative but it makes people act
Type of appeal: Emotional appeal
We make our decisions mostly based on emotions, such as
anger, pity, fear, humor, idealism, fairness, etc.
Emotional appeals create a connection between
speaker and audience because they
Reinforce logical arguments
Use diction and imagery to create a bond with the reader in a human
way. This is the power of words and images
Often they are written as a story or about a situation in which people
can relate

PATHOS
Pathos appeals rely on
emotions and feelings to
persuade the audience

They are often direct,
simple, and very powerful
If the writing is a story, and the
story is very sad and you are
sitting at home crying while you
read it, are you going to be more
sympathetic to the argument that
is being made?
Commercials such as those put out by MADD or SADD
are heartwrenching when they show pictures or talk
about children who were killed by drunk drivers.
Does the emotion make you more
sympathetic?
Of course. You can still believe the
argument is valid, but it is important
to realize that your emotions are
being manipulated.
Other areas where this happens is during very patriotic speeches in
which you can almost imagine hearing the national anthem playing
in the background.

The argument may or may not be
valid, but you are being manipulated
by your emotions. Be suspicious of
these arguments in general because
our emotions are funny things; they
can turn our heads away from a very
illogical argument
If you can imagine music being played in the background when you are
reading or listening to a speech, pathos is probably involved.


Where do you notice PATHOS
appeals?
America's older citizens
have rightly been called
the "greatest
generation." It is morally
unacceptable that the
people that built this
country -- our senior
citizens -- should suffer
hunger in a land of
plenty, which they
helped to create.
-from Americas Second Harvest
program
America's older citizens
have rightly been called
the "greatest
generation." It is morally
unacceptable that the
people that built this
country -- our senior
citizens -- should suffer
hunger in a land of
plenty, which they
helped to create.
-from Americas Second Harvest
program
Logos:
The Greek word logos is the basis for the
English word logic.
Logos refers to any attempt to appeal to the
intellect, the general meaning of "logical
argument."
Everyday arguments rely heavily on ethos and
pathos, but academic arguments rely more on
logos: there will be logical chains of reasoning
supporting all claims.
Logos

Logical Argument
Logos is the use of hard facts, statistics,
and logical argumentation.
Makes your argument more valid, compelling or
convincing
Logic and rationality are highly valued in our
society
Logical appeals have...
Strong, clear claims
Solid reasons for claims
Strong evidence (facts, statistics, personal
experience, expert authority, interviews,
observations, anecdotes)
Acknowledgement of the opposition
There is never only one side to an argument
LOGOS
Logos appeals rely on
the audiences
intelligence to
persuade them.
Education causes
audiences to be more
skeptical of emotional
arguments and more
receptive to logos
The most important part of logos
is where the author/speaker and
audience members meet. Where
is the common ground between
the two?
Both sides of a discussion must
have common ground on which
they can build in order to have a
discussion.
Major issues, such as abortion or
capital punishment, are
problematic issues to discuss
because neither side can find any
common ground with the other
side.

Therefore, no discussion can take place. There
has to be common ground to build on in order
to have a discussion and find resolution. These
issues will never be resolved between the two
binaries because no common ground exists
between absolute black and white issues.

Where do you see a LOGOS
appeal?
NASA sees its mission
to explore Mars as
an endeavor to seek
out the possibility of
life on that planet.
Knowing if water
was on Mars is the
first step in this
research.
NASA sees its mission
to explore Mars as
an endeavor to seek
out the possibility of
life on that planet.
Knowing if water
was on Mars is the
first step in this
research.
Where do you notice PATHOS and
LOGOS appeals?
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
provides a safe refuge for 180 species
of migratory birds, serves as a birthing
ground for one of the hemisphere's
largest caribou herds and has been
home to the Gwinch'in people for a
thousand generations. Ninety-five
percent (95%) of Alaska's North Slope
is already available to Big Oil, but these
companies want it all.



The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
provides a safe refuge for 180 species
of migratory birds, serves as a birthing
ground for one of the hemisphere's
largest caribou herds and has been
home to the Gwinch'in people for a
thousand generations. Ninety-five
percent (95%) of Alaska's North Slope
is already available to Big Oil, but these
companies want it all.

Putting Persuasion to Practice
Example #1:
Many advertisers for consumer goods aim at
making us insecure about our attractiveness or
social acceptability, and then offer a remedy for
this feeling in the form of their product. This is
common with toothpaste, chewing gum,
clothing, hair products, and cars.
Is this an example of Ethos, Pathos or
Logos?
Why?

PATHOS
Example #2:
Youre at the dentist and you leave
with a new whitening toothpaste. On
the tube, it says, In a research
study, 49% of patients saw improved
whiteness and less plaque in 2-3
weeks.
Is this an example of Ethos,
Pathos or Logos?
Why?
LOGOS
Example #3:
When an actor in a pain reliever
commercial puts on a doctors white
coat, the advertisers are hoping that
wearing this coat will give the actor
the authority to talk persuasively
about medicines.
Is this an example of Ethos,
Pathos or Logos?
Why?
ETHOS
George W.s 13 sentence speech
George W. Bush has become notorious for being
a poor orator. Many critics of Bush have bashed
him for his verbal mistakes and for his choice of
wording (He was even criticized for not speaking
to the nation soon enough after the terrorist
attacks on September 11. However, on
September 14, he gave one of the best
speeches of his life. He spoke only thirteen
sentences and did so in only three minutes.
On September 14, Bush took a short helicopter tour of
the devastated New York area and then walked between
the piles of rubble. He talked with volunteers,
firefighters, and police officers. Hearing chants of "USA!
USA!" from the workers, Bush took hold of a bullhorn,
climbed to the top of a small pile of rubble, and put his
arm around a fire fighter. Here is a transcript of what
happened:
CROWD: U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. I
want you all to know --
THE PRESIDENT: I can't talk any louder.
(Laughter.) I want you all to know that America
today -- that America today is on bended knee in
prayer for the people whose lives were lost here,
for the workers who work here, for the families
who mourn. This nation stands with the good
people of New York City, and New Jersey and
Connecticut, as we mourn the loss of thousands
of our citizens.
Q: I can't hear you.
THE PRESIDENT: I can hear you.
(Applause.) I can hear you. The
rest of the world hears you.
(Applause.) And the people who
knocked these buildings down will
hear all of us soon. (Applause.)
CROWD: U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
THE PRESIDENT: The nation sends its
love and compassion to everybody who is
here. Thank you for your hard work.
Thank you for making the nation proud.
And may God bless America. (Applause.)
CROWD: U.S.A.! U.S.A.! (The President
waves small American flag.) (Applause.)
Analysis
Applying Aristotle's proofs to this
situation you can (1) clarify their
definitions, (2) expose their
utility, and (3) draw insight to
Bush's speech.
Ethos refers to "the study of human character" and "the
persuasive potential of the speaker's character and
personal credibility" According to Aristotle, this proof was
potentially the most persuasive, although, logos or logic
may be considered most important today. When one's
character is seen as positive, we especially trust or have
confidence in the person trying to persuade us When the
speaker is seen as trustworthy, knowledgeable, and
interested in the audience, the audience will likely accept
what the speaker says as true.
Bush's display of ethos during this
speech was ubiquitous. Being a
president that is willing to come to
the heart of the tragedy that had just
occurred, automatically lifted his
character to that of a person who is
caring, compassionate, and
interested. His sense of eunoia or the
goodwill a speaker cultivates
between himself and his audience
was seen throughout his speech.
Bush's slight nonverbal actions also bolstered his
sense of character. Throughout most of his
speech, he kept his arm wrapped around a lead
firefighter working at the scene. The two men,
standing in front of onlookers and millions of
Americans watching television, looked as if they
were good friends, glancing and nodding at one
another. Interestingly, Bush's three minute
speech was completely audience centered,
which has been known to affect ethos
In all, his character and personhood came across
as that of a conscientious, concerned person. His
character shined when he eloquently stated,
"And the people who knocked these buildings
down will hear all of us soon." Bush was
persuading the workers and the nation that our
country is in safe hands and that we will find
whoever did these terrible acts.
Pathos
Pathos refers to the study of human emotion,
emotional appeals, and the act of "putting the
audience in the right frame of mind" This
emotional side of the speech usually influences
our beliefs and has the potential to influence our
actions. According to Aristotle, pathos is evident
when the audience is "roused to emotion by
speech" The issues of morality also come into
play. Aristotle felt that there is a moral
imperative for correct judgment
Before Bush even spoke a word, emotions were at large.
The crowd was chanting, "USA! USA!" A feel of
patriotism and pride mixed with an odd sense of defeat
and disgust surrounded the area and nation. When a
man shouted that he could not hear Bush speak, and
Bush replied, "I can't talk any louder," the crowd
laughed, putting them in a state of emotional happiness.
When Bush thanked the workers for their treacherous
labor, a sense of pride and heroism was felt.
Within pathos, Aristotle makes a
distinction between fear appeals
and pity appeals. He classifies
fear appeals as the fear of
physical harm or death, fear of
loss, or deprivation of freedom
"And the people who knocked down
these buildings will hear all of us
soon," he was not creating fear in
American lives, but he was appealing
to the fears of whoever knocked
down the buildings. In addition, he
used this fear appeal (aimed at the
opposers) to motivate, inspire, and
persuade Americans that we will
retaliate.
Aristotle also classified pity
appeals, which suggest or state
"that someone or something
helpless is being harmed"
Bush's numerous statements, such as, "The
nation sends its love and compassion to
everybody who is here", bring out emotions of
pity and sympathy, placing America as the
"helpless and harmed." In addition, the war torn
environment in which the speech took place
added to the emotional situation. Pathos was
probably more influential than any of the other
proofs in this speech.
Logos
Logos has numerous definitions, but
usually refers to the words used,
logical content or reasoning, or
thought expressed in words Logos
also means logical sense and may
suggest intellect or rationality. It is
also the study of "the arguments
typical of the reasoning employed in
practical decision making"
The concept of logos in Bush's speech may be
the hardest of the proofs to understand at first
sight when looking at the speech. Looking at
specific word use, Bush used an immense
amount of religious jargon. Phrases such as, "On
bended knee in prayer" and "May God bless
America," appealed to both emotions (pathos)
and to ways of thought (logos) and religion.
Logos took place on another level as well. There
was an argument that the country is united, still
alive, and ready to 'be heard.' When Bush
commented that "The nation stands with the
good people of New York City, and New Jersey
and Connecticut," he used logic to create an
imaginary link of unification between the people
devastated around the county. On another side,
he also made a subtle argument by his threat to
those who highjacked the planes and created
such massive destruction
Bush did not just use logos, pathos, or ethos
alone. He used them in unison. He used them to
create a wholesome speech that was successful.
Pathos was used expertly: the audience's
feelings, needs, and emotions connected with
the speech. Logos, or logical sense was
displayed to the listeners throughout the nation.
Ethos, or character and credibility, was also
eloquently displayed by Bush.
Aristotle's artistic proofs are thousands of years
old, however, they still have practical uses. They
(1) allow the audience to understand public
speeches at a greater depth and (2) allow the
speaker to shape and mold her or his speech to
one of success. In addition, according to
Aristotle, they define the study of rhetoric. I find
Aristotle's artistic proofs to be one of the most
useful contributions to the study of rhetoric
Warm-up: Copy- Ways to Notice
Persuasion Annotate the text as you read.
Be an active reader! Ask questions, clarify and
evaluate.
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Assignment to practice noticing persuasion: (14 answers)
Re-read Women should kill their own spiders, and I
Want a Wife
1. Find, copy (exact quote) and label an example of logos,
pathos and ethos in each text. 3 exs * 2 texts = 6 total
quotes
2. Explain for logos- whether the quote uses examples,
anecdotes, cause & effect and/ or problems & solutions
Explain for ethos Why is this writer credible?
Explain for pathos- What emotion is targeted ?
3. Write down what persuasive strategy each text uses the
most (logos, pathos or ethos) one answer per text


Advertising Project
Locate an advertisement (television,
magazine, newspaper, mailer or circular)
that uses Ethos, Pathos & Logos.
Your goal is to find an advertisement that
includes as many as you can in ONE ad
If you select a television ad, you must send
me a link to the advertisement prior to your
presentation. Television commercials may
only be a maximum of 30 seconds.
Present your findings to the class
Show an example of the advertisement printed
ads must be cut-out and carefully mounted and
include a clear explanation of where persuasion is
used.
Write down clear examples of Ethos, Pathos and/or
Logos found and your analysis of the persuasive
appeals used